Due to their importance for human development and well-being, freshwater ecosystems
are among the most threatened and modified in the world; a situation that is expected
to intensify in the future. Freshwaters convey a mix of novel, historical, and hybrid
systems, each with different values and opportunities for biodiversity conservation
and ecosystem services provision. We argue that securing future access to freshwater
services, while halting aquatic biodiversity loss, requires an evaluation of the opportunities
offered and challenges imposed by each of these types of systems. Such an inventory
can then build the basis to systematically plan restoration, conservation and management
actions with the goal of harmonizing the multiplicity of co-occurring freshwater-related
interests. Developing river basin management plans that integrate these multiple,
often conflicting interests poses complex challenges, including (1) the current ecosystem
condition that defines to a large extent what type of objectives can realistically
be aimed at, (2) socioeconomic needs that limit our capacity to modify current conditions,
for example, drinking water and energy provided by large dams, and (3) governance
constraints related to managing large, often transboundary, river basins. Multi-objective
management planning rooted in systematic conservation planning can help overcome these
challenges. Consequently, we argue that adequate planning must play a key role when
designing river basin management plans to make the most of the opportunities associated
with local freshwater ecosystem types. We call for governments to embrace and promote
a systematic approach to river basin management planning to create the urgently needed
pan-global shift toward a sustainable biodiverse freshwater future.
