Economic evaluation and setting supplementary measures and exemptions for the Latvian River Basin Management Plans 2022-2027
Based on a contract with the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC) in 2021, Kristīne Pakalniete (AKTiiVS) worked as a leading expert as part of the LEGMC team for conducting the economic evaluation and setting supplementary measures and exemptions for the Latvian River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs) 2022-2027.
Website: https://videscentrs.lvgmc.lv/lapas/udens-apsaimniekosana-un-pludu-parvaldiba.
The assessment aimed to support prioritisation and selection of supplementary measures that are needed for the water bodies “at risk” of failing their water quality objectives according to requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC). The assessment provided recommendations on the measures, their financing sources and exemptions for the updated national RBMPs for the period 2022-2027.
The evaluation covered supplementary measures for the main pressures on surface water bodies in Latvia:
- hydro-morphological pressures from hydro-power production dams and other obstacles on rivers and drainage (river straightening),
- point source pollution of nutrients from centralised sewage systems,
- diffuse pollution of nutrients from agriculture and forestry activities.
The analysis included:
- economic evaluation (based on cost-effectiveness and other relevant impacts) and prioritisation of the measures for each pressure,
- selection of supplementary measures for the water bodies “at risk” of failing their water quality objectives,
- assessment of the costs and potential financing sources of the selected measures,
- evaluating needs for exemptions according to the WFD (the Article 4.4).
The results include description of the developed methodologies and assessments and the recommended measures and exemptions for the water bodies “at risk” for all four river basin districts in Latvia (namely Daugava, Gauja, Lielupe and Venta river basin district).
.
© Photo: Dreamstime.com, Ingus Kruklitis.
.
The results are summarised in a supplementary document to the national RBMPs, available (in Latvian) here.
Reference: Latvijas Vides, ģeoloģijas un meteoroloģijas centrs (2021) Papildu pasākumu ekonomiskā analīze un noteikšana “riska” ūdensobjektiem. Rīga, 127 lpp.