A national research study on economic and social analysis of the use and protection of the marine environment.
The study is conducted as part of a project “Research to improve knowledge on the state of the marine environment for the implementation of the integrated maritime policy”, which is implemented by the Latvian Ministry of Climate and Energy (MCE) and contracted research institutions.
Project number: 24-00-U1010801-000001.
Funded by: EU European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.
Project implementation time: 05.2024 – 06.2029.
AKTiiVS is contracted by the MCE for implementing a research study for improving knowledge and information base for the economic and social analysis (ESA) of use of the marine environment and achievement of marine environmental objectives. The work involves further development of the national socioeconomic analysis methodologies, implementing data collection studies and development of analytical tools to support implementation of the marine protection and management policies in Latvia.
Research themes
(T1) improvement of the national methodologies and information base for the ESA of use of marine waters and the assessment of cost of degradation of the marine environment;
(T2) improvement of the information base and development of an evaluation tool for socioeconomic assessment of measures to reduce marine litter;
(T3) conducting environmental economic (monetary) valuation studies to assess the welfare benefits of implementation of measures and achievement of good marine environmental status (GES) in the Latvian marine waters;
(T4) improvement of the national methodology and information base and development of an evaluation tool for socioeconomic, including monetary, assessment of the marine ecosystem services;
(T5) improvement of the national methodologies and information base for the socioeconomic analysis of marine environment protection measures to support the renewal of the national MSFD program of measures for achieving GES.
The work also involves national representation in the international information and experience exchange (e.g., work of the EU MSFD Working Group POMESA) and regional coordination (e.g., work of the HELCOM Expert Group on economic and social analyses).
Available results
(T1) The ESA of use of marine waters and the assessment of cost of degradation of the marine environment – an assessment for the updated national MSFD Article 8 report.
The assessment provides an up-to-date overview of the national welfare benefits, costs and social impacts of using the marine environment.
- The full report “Assessment of the state of the marine environment: Economic and Social Analysis” (in Latvian).
- A summary on the assessment in English.
- A systematized national socioeconomic dataset of the marine uses (in Latvian).
- An information brief for stakeholders and policy-makers “An assessment of the benefits to the Latvian society from the marine ecosystem services and protection of the marine biodiversity” (in Latvian).
(T2, T3) Development of the national information base and evaluation tool for assessing effectiveness and socioeconomic impacts of policy measures to reduce marine litter in the Latvian marine environment.
Two national research studies were conducted by AKTiiVS in 2025, which developed the national information base and evaluation tool for assessing effectiveness and socioeconomic impacts of policy measures to reduce marine litter in the Latvian marine environment.
The results are provided in deliverables to the project (in Latvian):
- Study report “Improved information base and analysis tool for assessing effectiveness and socioeconomic impacts of policy measures for marine litter reduction”.
- Study report “Latvian citizens’ marine literacy and pro-environmental behaviour in relation to marine litter and welfare benefits from litter reduction and achievement of environmental targets”.
- Excel-based analysis tool for evaluation of effectiveness and socioeconomic impacts of marine litter reduction measures.
The studies serve assessments and tool to develop and evaluate measures for the upcoming update of the national MSFD program of measures with respect to the marine litter.
Ongoing in 2026 …
(T4) Improving the national methodology and information base and development of an evaluation tool for socioeconomic assessment of marine ecosystem services and welfare benefits from improving protection of the marine biodiversity and provided ecosystem services.
The results are planned for the end of 2026.