In 2026, EOMAP became a new member of the Mountain Partnership. This United Nations alliance of members is committed to enhancing the livelihoods of mountain communities and safeguarding mountain ecosystems worldwide. Together, the Governments of Italy and Switzerland, alongside the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), launched the initiative in 2002.

Supporting the Mountain Partnership’s goal, we have studied water quality trends at a tourism hotspot. In 2025, we took a closer look at Black Lake in Montenegro.

Assessing tourism impacts on lake water quality

In the case study, we investigated Crno Jezero (Black Lake) in Montenegro. Our focus was the relationship between tourism intensity and water quality. in order to provide actionable insights, we integrated visitor statistics with satellite-derived Earth Observation (EO) data.

Annual visitor records (2021–2025) were combined with water quality indicators, such as chlorophyll a (CHL), turbidity (TUR), and total suspended matter (TSM). For this, we extrapolated seasonal visitor patterns from 2025 data. This enabled consistent monthly and quarterly comparisons across the study period. Results show a clear summer tourism peak. However, we could not identify a consistent correlation between visitor numbers and water quality. Both short-term (monthly) and seasonal (quarterly) analyses indicate that fluctuations in CHL, TUR, and TSM are not systematically linked to tourism intensity.

A short anomaly in water quality in 2024

A distinct anomaly in October 2024, marked by elevated water quality indicators despite low visitor numbers, was attributed to heavy rainfall and runoff. This emphasizes the dominant role of natural hydrological processes. Long-term EO-based analysis (2017–2025) further confirms stable baseline conditions, with no significant trends in key water quality indicators.

All these findings highlight the importance of water management and ecosystem-based approaches in understanding lake dynamics. They also support strategies for ecosystem management, restoration, and disaster risk reduction. This is particularly relevant in the context of climate change, where experts expect increasing hydrological variability to impact freshwater systems more strongly.

A promising way forward

In order to further refine insights, the data should incorporate higher-resolution visitor data and insitu measurements. For tracking the impact of tourism on the water quality of Crno Jezero, near real-time monitoring combined with actual visitor numbers could be a promising way forward.

Assessing environmental and socio-economic stressors

The study is part of the project “Sustainable management of natural resources in mountain areas”, supported by the Italian government. It contributes to the Programme of Work of FAO’s Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) and covers further studies in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan. Its primary aim is to improve the livelihoods of rural mountain communities through sustainable management of natural resources. This involves strengthening the technical capacities of key stakeholders in assessing environmental and socio-economic stressors.

Learn more

Learn more about integrated water quality monitoring here.

For actionable insights on your lake, please contact the water quality team.