Conference Agenda

Like other large lakes in the Alps and around the world, lake Geneva’s socio ecological system faces increasing pressures as climate change reduces the frequency of full lake mixing, heightening the release of sediment bound phosphorus and the risk of harmful algal blooms. These blooms threaten biodiversity and essential ecosystem services, including bathing, drinking water, and fisheries. Managing bloom risk therefore requires navigating difficult trade offs between competing services. We implement a discrete choice experiment in France and Switzerland to assess how individuals value these trade offs. The results show that most respondents prioritise the protection of fishing activity, but others place greater emphasis on maintaining recreational access. Preferences are heterogeneous across groups, reflecting diverse valuations of the lake’s ecosystems-services. Cost remains insignificant, preventing reliable willingness to pay estimation. By revealing these differentiated priorities, this working paper provides early insights to support the development of sustainable and socially acceptable management strategies for Lake Geneva under increasing bloom risk in a changing climate.