PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
To achieve good water status or potential as required by the Water Framework Directive objectives and attain the objectives of the Habitats Directive (HD) as well as EU Biodiversity Strategy, complex management activities will be carried out in Salaca River Sub-catchment: 1. Adaptation of directive harmonization actions in Salaca river subcatchment Both, the Habitats Directive (HD) and the Water Framework Directive (WFD), aim at ensuring healthy aquatic ecosystems while at the same time ensuring a balance between water/nature protection and the sustainable use of nature's natural resources. Indeed there are many synergies as the implementation of measures under the WFD will generally benefit the objectives of the HD, and vice versa. But both mentioned directives have different approaches. Firm and timely coordination between water and nature conservation authorities is highly recommended. It could help to save time, resources and improve the quality of obtained data and exchange between state institutions to reach a common goal - achieve good water status or potential as required by the Water Framework Directive objectives and attain the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy. But a clearly defined approach, by harmonizing BD and WFD is needed. In this project a new approach for ecological quality assessment (common view of Habitat Directive and Water Framework directive) will be developed for Salaca river subcatchment. Guidelines of harmonised Habitat Directive and Water Framework Directive monitoring network will be prepared based on the Salaca sub-catchment example. Process of harmonisation will be described step by step - methodological approach, including description of necessary data and calculation algorithm, will be provided in the report, so these guidelines can be applied in other river basins in Latvia, as well in other EU countries. Guidelines will be available for stakeholders and scientists in Latvia, as well as they will be presented in one of EU working groups about water quality (for example, ECOSTAT). Based on these Guidelines a draft amendments for a next monitoring programme cycle (2028 - 2033) will be planned both for surface waters and Biodiversity (freshwater habitats). Harmonised monitoring programme will be more efficient and cost effective, and also will further strengthen the capacity of freshwater experts of authority institutions of Latvia. This new harmonisation approach will be used in next River Basin Management Plans and applied for all catchments within Latvia. 2. Development of N2000 in new framework. This project will use best practice and information from previously implemented projects as well as results and information from WFD and HD harmonization approach and tested new management methods to create new and integrated Natura 2000 site management plan, that will serve basis not just for protecting species and habitats of EU importance, but will contain management activities necessary to implement WFD measures, regulate tourism pressures, ensure ecosystem services, etc. It should be emphasized that Natura 2000 sites management plans are considered as direct conservation activities, because in relation to the focused and countrywide implementation of nature management measures in Latvia, such plans are a prerequisite for support from different financial instruments. At the moment project LIFE IP LatViaNature is developing a new framework for nature protection plans, which will help to improve the state of species and habitat protection by integrating Natura 2000 territory-level species and habitat protection goals into plans, reduce plan development costs and time until plan approval, as well as improve plan implementation, creating a plan for its readers and event organizers in a more friendly e-form. The testing phase for nature protection plans, using the framework of the new plans, will take place within the project LIFE IP “LatViaNature” in 2023-2025, and this appr