Environment
Environment
At the meeting on June 21, the government agreed to allow the felling of younger trees for commercial purposes, despite objections by environmental protection organizations, Latvian Radio reported.
Danish Renewable energy developer European Energy has announced plans to build a 110 MW solar park in Tārgale, Ventspils region.
In the last two years of the Covid pandemic, the number of pets has increased significantly, Latvian Radio reported June 12.
The State Audit Office has concluded that Latvia is implementing an ill-considered and costly bio-waste management system, plus it is delayed. If the current approach is not “restarted”, the proposed system will be costly for the country and unfriendly for the population, and potential European Union (EU) sanctions may have a negative impact on the public budget if the system is not implemented in time, Latvian Television reported June 9.
The lives of the lions of the Rīga Zoo can now be followed online on live cams, the Zoo said May 31.
Activitists of the "City for People" association have called a public picket for June 1 with the attention of pressuring Rīga City Council's governing coalition to "bring about positive change in the urban environment, especially in the field of road safety, not only in words but also in deeds."
Organizers say that after more than a year and a half at the new Riga City Council, promised changes in the urban environment have failed to materialize.
Organizers say that after more than a year and a half at the new Riga City Council, promised changes in the urban environment have failed to materialize.
The moose family at Līgatne Nature Trails has had a baby, born to mother Mirga, the Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) has confirmed. It is difficult to keep moose in captivity, so the birth is a big event, said the DAP.
There are currently almost 1,400 deposit points in Latvia for the recycling of domestic waste, and a nationawide scheme of automated collection points for cans and bottles was recently introduced.
After a two-year break, the largest dedicated forest information event in the Baltics - the Latvian Forest Days - will take place at the Latvian State Forest (LVM) Nature Park in Tērvete on May 27 and 28, bringing together forest industry professionals, conservationists, nature lovers, families and students.
In 2021, 18.2% of Latvia was taken up by protected areas, according to data published by Eurostat May 21.
162 hectares of forest have burned in 170 fires this year, according to May 18 information from the State Forest Service (VMD).
Moscow Gardens in Rīga is to be renamed Latgale Park, as decided by Rīga City Council on May 18. It is a return to the original name it had during pre-war free Latvia in 1937.
Gardening on small plots or allotments is becoming more and more popular in Riga, to the extent that there are currently no vacancies in the plots of land offered by the municipality. However, it is still possible to rent a small garden in other areas, according to Latvian Television (LTV1) program "Revidents".
On May 10, Rīga activists plan to unveil a bench in the center of the capital in hopes to draw attention to the fact that there are simply not enough places for people to rest their weary legs, Latvian Radio reported.
The presence of active substances of medicinal products in wastewater and water bodies in Latvia and Lithuania is dangerously high, Latvian and Lithuanian scientists have identified in the European Union (EU) project MEDWwater.
In order to combat pollution in the forests of Latvia, cameras are increasingly being installed to catch litterers, Latvian Television reported May 5.
Compared to last year, there have been 200 more grass fires registered this year, and significant damage has been done to nature and property, Latvian Television reported on May 2.
Latvia's use of pesticides in farming has increased more than any other country in the European Union for which data are available, according to Eurostat statistics published May 2.
With warmer and drier weather throughout the territory of Latvia, the fire hazard period begins Monday, May 2, said the State Forest Service.
A new bird species - the bittern (Botaurus stellaris) joins the live broadcasts of the Latvian Fund for Nature (LDF) birds, said Liene Brizga-Kalniņa, LDF representative. The live nest is in Lake Engure.
In mid-April, a toad rescue campaign 'Mission Toad. Save a prince' was launched in Latvia. Over 60 volunteers have been involved, and 1,200 different amphibians rescued, Latvian Radio reported April 26.
A bear has been seen twice at a biological farm in Alūksne municipality Anna parish, Sandra Apine, chief editor of the newspaper Alūksne and Maliena News told Latvian Radio April 19.
On April 14, the ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris) was seen for the first time in Latvia, said the Latvian Association of Ornithologists.
Between April 14 and the morning of April 19, the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) extinguished 149 grass fires (so-called kūla fires), VUGD said Tuesday.
Urban gardens and parks are being prepared for the summer season. Besides the usual compositions and plants, cities are preparing new additions. In Rīga, for example, sunflowers will be planted at Victory Park this year in support of Ukraine, Latvian Radio reported April 18.
The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) has been included in the list of specially protected species in Latvia, the government decided on April 12.
The Nature Conservation Agency (DAP) is warning drivers to look out for sleepy-eyed amphibians, DAP representative Elīna Ezeriņa told Latvian Radio April 13.
A suspected whale sighting has been reported in late March in the Gulf of Rīga opposite Ragaciems, said Nature Conservation Agency's expert Valdis Pilāts.
The monument complex at Victory Park has been deemed unsafe and the municipality has therefore cordoned it off on April 11, said the Rīga City Council.
As the wild boar population in Latvia grows, so does the number of cases of African swine fever. An increase in the disease was observed in the second half of last year and this year, African swine fever has been detected in more than 300 wild boar, half of them in Latgale region, reports Latvian Radio.
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