The work to improve the state of the Baltic Sea has taken a step forward. Latvia’s capital, Riga, has considerably reduced its annual phosphorus and nitrogen disposal in the Baltic Sea. This piece of good news was announced in a conference in Riga in late September. The event was organized by Kemira and the Baltic Sea Action Group to promote water protection in the Baltic Sea.
Despite its challenging economic situation, Latvia is committed to the European Union’s urban wastewater directive. “Many of Latvia’s water treatment plants already meet part of HELCOM’s requirements, which are stricter than those of the European Union,” says Aija Jantunen, head of Kemira’s Municipal & Industrial segment’s operations in Finland and the Baltic countries.
Supported by the EU and nine countries around the Baltic sea, HELCOM is the governing body of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, also known as the Helsinki Convention. It issues recommendations to improve the state of the Baltic Sea.
At the conference, Latvia was called upon to act as a messenger to its neighbor Belarus, which is not a member of HELCOM. Latvia is well positioned to serve as a water-protection ambassador to Belarus because the two countries share a river and lake system and strong cultural ties.
Investments in water protection are spurred in part by the economy. Tourism is an important industry to Latvia; as a result, more people think that economic interests should not be pursued selfishly at the expense of the environment.
“Latvians also think that strict environmental requirements can generate new business. They are ready to adopt a new approach to environmental issues,” says Jantunen.
Text: Risto Pennanen