Jānis Šīre

The Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC) is a state-owned company responsible for providing environmental, geological, and meteorological services in Latvia. The Inland Waters Division of LEGMC is responsible for monitoring and assessing the quality of Latvia's inland waters, including lakes, rivers, and groundwater. The responsibility includes number of tasks:

• Monitoring the physical, chemical, and biological quality of inland waters

• Assessing the impact of human activities on inland waters

• Developing and implementing River Basin Management and Flood Risk Management Plans

• Providing information and advice to the government and other stakeholders on inland water management issues

The Inland Waters Division is made up of a team of experts in hydrology, chemistry, biology, and ecology. The Division also uses a variety of modeling tools to assess the impact of human activities on inland waters and to develop water quality management plans.

The Division also implements projects, including LIFE GoodWater IP to improve the status of water bodies at risk in Latvia through the full implementation of the measures laid down in the Daugava, Gauja, Lielupe and Venta River Basin Management Plans (RBMPs).

The specific objectives of LIFE GoodWater IP are to:

• reduce the pollution of water bodies at risk caused by urban wastewater and diminish the loads of nutrients brought in by wastewater discharges and accumulated in water bodies at risk;

• reduce the runoff of nutrients and other pollutants from agricultural and forestry lands, especially in the winter period, to reduce eutrophication and diffuse pollution of water bodies at risk, with a special focus on reduction of phosphorus inputs;

• reduce or mitigate the effects of hydrological and morphological alterations of water bodies at risk, including those caused by renovation and reconstruction of land drainage systems;

• improve river basin management planning and its implementation mechanisms by strategically planned capacity building actions, and addressing the gaps in monitoring system of water bodies at risk to ensure a more efficient implementation of RBMPs in further planning cycles;

• increase the awareness of various stakeholders and to promote their involvement in the implementation of the RBMPs;

• provide support to respective authorities for improvements of respective legislative and regulatory documents and policies.