CURRENT AFFAIRS AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT IN LATVIA 2016 – 2021

Abstract

According to the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive, all EU Member States have to achieve good water quality for all waters, including in the Daugava River basin district. Currently, the water in a number of water objects has a medium or even poor quality, and there is a risk of not achieving the set objective. In addition, it should be noted that this is an international river basin district. The aim of this paper is related to the issues, which the river basin district management plans identified as the main problems hindering good quality of all waters. Another problem discussed in this paper is the transboundary pollution entering Latvia from its neighbor states – Russia, Belarus, and Lithuania. The author proposes to facilitate an Integrated approach to the Water Resources Management; to apply wider «soft law» principles in transnational cooperation by concluding multilateral agreements; to establish the international Daugava River Basin Commission, which among other tasks would investigate pollution sources in the territory of a respective country; to establish an early warning system and develop joint cooperation in mitigation of consequences of possible accidents; to implement publicity measures in order to promote a friendlier attitude to water resources and to encourage private initiatives.