January, 2026.
Published results from a new national study on monetary valuation of welfare benefits of water related recreation and improving quality of river ecosystems in Latvia.
The new study conducted by AKTiiVS in 2025 provides nationally representative data on recreational use of inland waters, monetary estimates of welfare benefits from this recreational use, and monetary valuation of welfare benefits from improving state of river ecosystems affected by obstacles.
The data was collected from a national citizens’ survey based on a representative sample. The monetary valuation is conducted by applying the travel cost method and the discrete choice experiment for valuing the benefits of improving river ecosystems from implementing measures to reduce impacts of river obstacles.
The study report is available (in Latvian) here.
The study was implemented as part of the project entitled “Implementation of data collection studies and development of a national methodology for socioeconomic evaluation of measures to reduce pressures from obstacles on rivers and for justifying cost-effective measures” (No 1-08/65/2024), which is implemented by the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC) together with AKTiiVS with funding from the Latvian Environment Protection Fund. The project aims to fill substantial national data gaps on societal benefits and costs of obstacles on rivers and their management in Latvia, and to provide national methodology and assessments for socioeconomic evaluation and setting cost-effective measures to reduce the pressures, created by the obstacles on river ecosystems.
Read more about the project here.