National Environmental Policy Plan for Latvia
Overview and analysis of priority environmental problems

(This Web page is prepared within the framework of the BALLERINA initiative)

Summary

This chapter discusses and analyses in detail priority environmental problems. Three criteria have been used for their selection:

  • the problem poses a serious threat to human health;
  • the problem may create irreversible changes in ecosystems, thus reducing biodiversity or degrading the landscape;
  • Latvia’s international obligations foresees the taking of active measures to solve the problem.

While 45 problems were identified when analyzing Latvia’s environmental situation, the following were found to be of priority importance:

  • transboundary pollution;
  • eutrofication of water courses and the degradation of aquatic ecosystems;
  • risks caused by economic activity;
  • impact of wastes on the environment;
  • impact of transport on the environment;
  • impact of agriculture on the environment;
  • depletion of biodiversity;
  • landscape degradation;
  • inefficient use of natural resources;
  • low quality of drinking water.

For each of those problems, several possible solutions are offered and policy instruments are suggested for their implementation. Appropriate time frames have also been suggested (short term - up to 5 years, medium - 5 to 15 years, long-term - over 15 years), as well as the most appropriate level of policy elaboration and implementation - international, national or local. Problems have been arranged in order from long-term and international to short-term and local.

Environmental problems in Latvia are various, interrelated, and quite complex (see Box 8). However, since it is not possible to solve all environmental problems in a country simultaneously, priority environmental problems which should be tackled without delay and on which the government should concentrate all its attention, effort and funds, have been singled out.

The following criteria were used for the determination of priority problems:

Box 8

Environmental problems

Here and hereinafter, environmental problems are defined as undesirable changes in the environment resulting from human activity, that have a negative impact on human health, ecosystems or the capability of the environment to perform the functions necessary for human beings.

With the help of these criteria, ten priority environmental problems have been determined. An analysis of each problem will follow further in the chapter.

Analysis of each problem is followed by a description of applicable solutions. Some solutions are oriented towards causes and therefore are the most effective. Others are oriented towards effects and are therefore considered additional measures, to be applied only in cases when their application is inexpensive and produces a significant result.

Radiation and nuclear safety cannot be considered priority problems, since Latvia does not have a nuclear programme and there are no large nuclear sites in its territory. However, taking into account the considerable public interest in these issues, as well as the amount of necessary capital investment, a detailed overview of them is provided in Appendix 3.

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Last updated: November 8, 1996. The information prepared by Valts Vilnitis: fuxis@varam.gov.lv

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