Building resilience across the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are often defined by their scale as they span eight US states and two Canadian provinces and hold roughly 20% of the world’s surface freshwater, but their significance goes far beyond size. These waters support the third largest economy in the world, including manufacturing, energy, shipping, and millions of people in communities across the watershed. While decades of economic development created lasting environmental challenges, the Great Lakes have also become a global proving ground for demonstrating how infrastructure, ecosystems, and industry can coexist and thrive.

Ramboll helps clients navigate this intersection. By combining expertise in environmental restoration with engineering, climate resilience, water management, and sustainable infrastructure, we deliver integrated, multidisciplinary solutions that bridge environmental science, engineering, planning, and implementation. Our Great Lakes teams draw upon Ramboll's global expertise across coastal resilience, water infrastructure, and nature-based solutions, adapting global best practices to the unique environmental, regulatory, and operational realities of North America’s largest freshwater system.

"There is no other freshwater system on Earth quite like the Great Lakes. Their scale, economic importance, and ecological significance create both extraordinary opportunity and profound responsibility. The Great Lakes are both powerful and fragile, yet ultimately finite, and safeguarding their future demands our collective action," says Juliane Baquiran, Principal. "At Ramboll, we believe stewardship means combining rigorous science with practical implementation, accelerating large-scale projects and strengthening collaboration across governments, industry, and academia. Our goal is not only to protect and restore the Great Lakes, but to help communities, ecosystems, and industries thrive together for generations to come."

Across the basin, Ramboll's work spans sediment remediation, habitat restoration, shoreline resilience, beneficial reuse, biodiversity enhancement, and climate adaptation, helping clients meet regulatory requirements, manage risk, and unlock long-term environmental and economic value. From planning and permitting through design and implementation, we supports clients across the full project lifecycle.

Discover how our Great Lakes specialists are partnering with clients to transform complex environmental challenges into resilient, future-ready solutions that strengthen both communities and the economy.