Last autumn, it emerged that the “environmental section” could come under the umbrella of the Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM) in 2025. However, the transfer to KEM could take place sooner – in July 2024, Environment Protection and Regional Development Minister Inga Bērziņa (New Unity) told Latvian Radio.
Still, nature and biodiversity issues will remain under the auspices of the current Environment Ministry, and the Ministry itself would be renamed as the Nature Protection and Regional Development Ministry.
The renaming has caused some stir on social media, since the current abbreviation of the ministry is VARAM ("We Can") in Latvian, but after the renaming, it would be DARAM (a misspelled "We Do").
Accordingly, KEM would be in charge of the State Environmental Service and the Environment State Bureau, while VARAM or DARAM would be in charge of the Nature Conservation Agency, the National Botanic Garden in Salaspils and the Museum of Natural History.
