Abstract:Lakes (including artificial reservoirs) are important surface water resources, and they are also an important part of the earth surface system consisting of "mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grassland and desert". Based on the lake survey data and long-term monitoring data collected by the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as other institutions, this paper systematically analyzed the overall status and long-term trends of the ecological and environmental changes of natural and artificial lakes in China, focused on the ecological and environmental status and changes of typical lakes in the five major lake zones in China and highlighted the protection effects and challenges facing the ecological environment of lakes in China. In the meantime, countermeasures and suggestions for policy-makers and are proposed to promote the protection and restoration of the ecology and environment of lakes in China, and to ensure the water safety and sustainable development of lakes and river basins.