Poster Presentation World Lake Conference 2025

Transforming a Urban Lake into a Living Lab: Heartware Approach Through Community Engagement and Environmental Education (#212)

Affan Nasaruddin 1 , Siti Norasiah Abd. Kadir 1 , Zeeda Mohamad 1 , Nor Aishah Abdullah 1 , Fathiah Mohamed Zuki 1 , Hazreena Hussein 1 , Zati Hakim Azizul Hassan 1 , Mohd Fadhli Rahmat Fakri 1
  1. Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

Urban lakes are often overlooked ecological assets within rapidly developing cityscapes. These water bodies frequently face a range of environmental and social challenges, including pollution—particularly eutrophication due to nutrient runoff—biodiversity degradation, and a growing disconnection between communities and their natural surroundings. Varsity Lake, the main campus lake of Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia exemplified these challenges before its transformation began through a heartware approach led by Water Warriors UM, a student-staff-alumni collective championing campus water sustainability. This poster explores the multi-stakeholder restoration of Tasik Varsiti as a model for integrating heartware—the emotional and social investment of communities—into lake rehabilitation. Through community engagement and environmental education, the lake was revitalized not only ecologically but also socially, becoming a functional, accessible space for research, experiential education, public events, and biodiversity observation. The project fostered interdisciplinary collaboration across faculties, empowered youth and campus communities, and sparked a culture of environmental stewardship on campus. This case study demonstrates how an urban lake can evolve into a living lab that supports sustainability goals, enhances biodiversity, and reconnects people with nature through participatory action.