Latvia update en final sept13

LIFE programme - Country Factsheet

LATVIA Overview Since the launch of the LIFE programme by the European Commission in 1992, a total of 39 projects have been financed in Latvia. Of these, 12 focus on environmental innovation, 25 on nature conservation, one on biodiversity and one on capacity building. These projects represent a total investment of €42 million, of which €25 million has been contributed by the European Union.

This document provides an overview of LIFE in Latvia.

It showcases success stories and ongoing initiatives, indicates how to find further

Every year a call for project proposals is launched for its three components: Nature and Biodiversity, Environment Policy and Governance, and Information and Communication.

You will find more details on all recent LIFE projects in Latvia in the annexed lists.

information on the projects and provides a list of recent projects in Annex.

Last update: 11/09/13

European Commission, DG Environment – LIFE E.3 & E.4 Units (http://ec.europa.eu/life/)

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Environment Policy and Governance To date the LIFE Environment component (now called Environment Policy and Governance) has co-financed 12 projects in Latvia. This represents a total investment of €7 million, of which €3.5 million has been contributed by the European Union.

Completed projects covered a wide range of themes: coastal protection, sustainable tourism (the development of a sustainable tourism management model for the Natura 2000 site, the Slitere national park), water management, integrated environmental management (EMAS II implementation by local authorities in new Member States), energy-labeling of apartments and the management of municipal waste. The average project duration was 30 months and there was a wide range of beneficiary types: four NGOs, one university (Riga Technical university) with two projects, one local and one regional authority, a development agency and an SME. There are two ongoing projects in Latvia. One is being implemented by Riga City Council over a 34 month period and aims to ensure that climate change impacts on hydrological processes are adequately investigated and taken into account in the city’s planning system. The second project, which is being carried out by a public enterprise - Latvijas dzelzceļš – over a 36 month period, aims to demonstrate a new means of reducing rail noise pollution and adapt and apply the Dutch “Reken en Meetvoorschrift Railverkeerslawaai ‘96” (RMR) method for estimating noise from Europe's railways.

The project presented in the box below is an example of a successful LIFE Environment project in Latvia. It was selected as one of the 17 "Best" LIFE Environment projects in 2013.

Proposals for environmental policy and governance based on demonstration of environmental, social and economic benefits from tourism in the Slitere national park - A NATURA 2000 territory (POLPROPNATURA) LIFE07 ENV/LV/000981 The POLPROP-NATURA project produced a policy document on sustainable tourism and biodiversity in Latvia. This proposal was based on an innovative approach to sustainable tourism taken by the project at the Slītere national park, a Natura 2000 site, and on the experience of other national parks in the Baltic region. The policy document will be used by the Latvian government as a basis for policy on tourism development in protected areas.

Another key outcome of the project was the development of a sustainable tourism management model for a Natura 2000 site, based on five new sustainable nature tourism products and their marketing (including a Slītere national park guide, five outdoor information stands, a ‘plant finder’ featuring common but attractive species instead of exposing rare and sensitive species). The sustainable tourism management model also aims to save resources and improve cost-efficiencies and can also be used by management authorities of other Natura 2000 sites in Europe. A starter guide to developing sustainable tourism in protected areas was produced by the EUROPARC Federation (which represents approximately 430 members - protected areas, governmental departments, NGO's and businesses in 35 countries). The guide contains examples of best practice in Europe.

Overall, the project contributed greatly to the initiation of stakeholder dialogue and to the exchange of experiences internationally. It also generated economic results, such as: an increase in visitor numbers and their length of stay; an increase in the amount of money spent by visitors – in 2011 visitors spent around 700 to 800 thousand lats in the park territory; a strong demand fort the new tourism products; the development of new businesses and the expansion of existing ones; the creation of new jobs; and improved cooperation among stakeholders.

The project activities helped raise awareness in the local community of the value of nature conservation and encouraged changes in behaviour. Businesses and other stakeholders have gained new experience, knowledge and motivation to develop environment friendly tourism practices.

For further information: http://www.polprop.celotajs.lv

Last update: 11/09/13

European Commission, DG Environment – LIFE E.3 & E.4 Units (http://ec.europa.eu/life/)

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Nature and Biodiversity To date the LIFE Nature component (now called Nature and Biodiversity) has co-financed 26 projects in Latvia.

These projects represent a total investment of €34.5 million of which €22 million has been contributed by the European Union.

Completed projects have mostly dealt with the conservation, restoration and management of habitats (wetlands, coastal/marine protected areas and floodplains) and species (spotted eagle and black stork). One of the projects aimed to restore the biological diversity of a military training area and Natura 2000 site ("Adazi”). The projects were mainly carried out by NGOs, national parks and universities and had an average duration of 48 months.

There are ten ongoing projects in Latvia. These focus on the conservation, restoration and management of habitats (raised bogs, fennoscandian wooded meadows and forest habitats), and on the conservation of species (priority beetle species, rare reptiles and amphibians). One project specifically aims to restore the hydrological functions of the Kemeri National Park, while another seeks to develop concepts for assessing the conservation status of marine biodiversity in the Baltic Sea (including species and habitats) – examining the impacts of various human activities. The beneficiaries include two universities, three local authorities, three NGOs, a national authority (State Centre for Defense Military Objects and Procurement) and a development agency. The projects have an expected duration of between 43 and 54 months.

The project presented in the box below is an example of a successful LIFE Nature project in Latvia.

The improvement of habitats management in Natura 2000 site – Vestiena (IHM-VESTIENA) LIFE06/NAT/LV/000196 This project successfully developed nature management plans (NMP) for three protected areas and drafted a sitespecific regulation for each. NMPs were adopted according to the existing legislation.

It determined the general pressure limits for 13 types of habitats located in the project area and calculated the impacts on particular locations of habitats. The comprehensive GIS database in Latvia features some specially protected nature sites and includes the following information: topographic maps, land ownership, present land use, zoning of the territory, nature values (i.e. location of habitats and species of Community and national importance), sites with scenic views, areas important for landscape protection, recreational values and tourism infrastructure, pressures on different areas and particularly on habitats of Community importance, and the location of management activities.

The restoration of priority biotopes was carried out by the project on an area of 52.3 ha and the restoration of a further 18 ha of grassland formations has been included in an After-LIFE Conservation plan. The activities carried out during the implementation of the LIFE project established preconditions for the maintenance of 70 ha of land and these are planned to be continued after the end of the project. Around 600 ha are covered by agri-environmental programmes. The elimination of the invasive species, giant hogweed, was completed according to the reduced target of 30 ha instead of the initial 245 ha. The project’s activities also established preconditions for the control of 32.65 ha, previously invaded with giant hogweed, which will also be continued after the end of the project. All the farmers whose properties were invaded with this alien specie were invited to a special training session, and maintenance of cleaned sites from alien species has been included in the After-Life Conservation plan. In addition, a special volunteer monitoring sub-programme has been developed and introduced to monitor cleaned sites and to identify new ones.

In total, five nature trails (instead of the planned six) were created, with a total length of around 6.3 km. These include places for recreation – tables, benches and waste bins were installed. Agreements for the maintenance of the trails have been concluded with the local landowners for 10 years. The establishment of the remaining sixth nature trail is included in the After-LIFE conservation plan.

For further information: http://life.vaaaap.lv/lv

Last update: 11/09/13

European Commission, DG Environment – LIFE E.3 & E.4 Units (http://ec.europa.eu/life/)

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How to find out more about LIFE and LIFE projects By surfing on the LIFE website The LIFE website provides a wealth of information on the LIFE programme: http://ec.europa.eu/life/

By searching on the LIFE projects For further information on LIFE projects in Latvia or LIFE projects in general, please consult the online LIFE projects database. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm The easy-to-use database is the authoritative source of information on all ongoing and closed LIFE projects. The database also provides information on the beneficiaries, their contact details, and the projects’ websites.

By contacting: The National Contact Point for Latvia The Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development - Department of Nature Protection - Division of Species and Habitats Protection The Environmental Protection Fund of Latvia Administration Name:

Ms. Ilona Mendziņa, Deputy director (Nature & Biodiversity) Ms. Sandra Bērziņa, Director (Environment and Information/Communication) Address: Peldu Street 25 Eksporta Street 5 LV -1494 Riga LV - 1010 Riga Tel: +371 67026432 / +371 67503310 Fax: +371 67820442 / +371 67503304 E-mail: ilona.mendzina@vidm.gov.lv sandra.berzina@lvafa.gov.lv Website: http://www.vidm.gov.lv Link to Latvian Nature projects: http://www.vidm.gov.lv/eng/projekti/dabas_aizsardzibas_projekti/?doc=3320

The Monitoring Team for Latvia ASTRALE - SIA ELLE Skolas Iela 10-8 LV - 1010 Riga Latvia Tel: +371 6 7242411 Fax: +371 6 7242466 E-mail: elle@astrale.org

Last update: 11/09/13

European Commission, DG Environment – LIFE E.3 & E.4 Units (http://ec.europa.eu/life/)

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Recent Environment Policy & Governance projects in Latvia Project Title

Project Number

Website

Proposals for environmental policy and governance based on demonstration of environmental, social and economic benefits from torism in the Slitere national park - A NATURA2000 territory (POLPROP-NATURA)

LIFE07 ENV/LV/000981

http://www.celotajs.lv/cont/prof/proj /PolProp/PolProp_lv.html

Integrated Strategy for Riga City to Adapt to the Hydrological Processes Intensified by Climate Change Phenomena (HydroClimateStrategyRiga)

LIFE08 ENV/LV/000451

Innovative Solutions for Railway Noise Management (ISRNM)

LIFE11 ENV/LV/000376

Click on the icon to read the project summary

Project duration

02/2010–> 11/2012

http://www.rigapretpludiem.lv/eng/ 02/2010–> 11/2012

http://www.troksnisaizsienas.lv 08/2012–> 07/2015

Recent Nature & Biodiversity projects in Latvia Project Title

Project Number

Website

Restoration of Raised Bog Habitats in the Especially Protected Nature Areas of Latvia (Raised bogs)

LIFE08 NAT/LV/000449

http://www.purvi.lv/

Restoration of Corncrake habitats in Dviete floodplain Natura 2000 site (DVIETE)

LIFE09 NAT/LV/000237

http://www.dvietespaliene.lv

Innovative approaches for marine biodiversity monitoring and assessment of conservation status of nature values in the Baltic Sea (MARMONI)

LIFE09 NAT/LV/000238

http://marmoni.balticseaportal.ne t/wp/

Conservation of rare reptiles and amphibians in Latvia (Life-HerpetoLatvia)

LIFE09 NAT/LV/000239

http://www.lifeherpetolatvia.biology.lv/

Management of Fennoscandian wooded meadows (6530*) and two priority beetle species : planning, public participation, innovation (EREMITA MEADOWS)

LIFE09 NAT/LV/000240

http://www.eremita-meadows.lv

Forest Habitat Restoration within the Gauja National Park (FOR-REST)

LIFE10 NAT/LV/000159

http://for-rest.daba.gov.lv/public/

Restoring the hydrological regime of the Kemeri National Park (HYDROPLAN)

LIFE10 NAT/LV/000160

http://hydroplan.daba.gov.lv/public/

National Conservation and Management Programme for Natura 2000 Sites in Latvia (NAT-PROGRAMME)

LIFE11 NAT/LV/000371

http://www.daba.gov.lv/public/lat/pr ojekti/life_nature1/nat_programme /

Restoration of Bittern habitats in two coastal lakes in Latvia (LIFE COASTLAKE)

LIFE12 NAT/LV/000118

N/A

Last update: 11/09/13

Click on the icon to read the project summary

Project duration

02/2010 –> 08/2013

10/2010 –> 09/2014

10/2010 –> 03/2015

09/2010 –> 08/2014

01/2011 –> 07/2015

09/2011 –> 08/2015

09/2011 –> 08/2016

09/2012 –> 02/2017

09/2013 –> 08/2017

European Commission, DG Environment – LIFE E.3 & E.4 Units (http://ec.europa.eu/life/)

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Improving of the conservation status of specially protected bird species in Natura 2000 site “Adazi” (LIFE Birds in Adazi)

LIFE12 NAT/LV/000509

Alternative use of biomass for maintenance of grassland biodiversity and ecosystem services (LIFE GRASSSERVICE)

LIFE12 BIO/LV/001130

Last update: 11/09/13

N/A 11/2013 –> 10/2017

N/A 10/2013 –> 12/2017

European Commission, DG Environment – LIFE E.3 & E.4 Units (http://ec.europa.eu/life/)

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