Adaptation of Water Framework Directive and Habitats Directive harmonization and integrated actions for freshwater quality improvement in Salaca river sub catchment.

Introduction

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 the EU Biodiversity Strategy, complex management activities will be carried out in the Salaca River Sub-catchment.

Adaptation of Directive Harmonization Actions

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. However, 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. 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 the Salaca River sub-catchment. Guidelines of a harmonized Habitat Directive and Water Framework Directive monitoring network will be prepared based on the Salaca sub-catchment example.

The process of harmonization will be described step by step; a methodological approach, including a description of necessary data and calculation algorithm, will be provided in the report. These guidelines can be applied in other river basins in Latvia, as well as in other EU countries. Guidelines will be available for stakeholders and scientists in Latvia, and they will also be presented in one of the EU working groups about water quality (for example, ECOSTAT).

Based on these guidelines, draft amendments for the next monitoring programme cycle (2028 - 2033) will be planned for both surface waters and biodiversity (freshwater habitats). The harmonized monitoring programme will be more efficient and cost-effective, and it will further strengthen the capacity of freshwater experts of authority institutions in Latvia. This new harmonization approach will be used in the next River Basin Management Plans and applied for all catchments within Latvia.

Development of N2000 in New Framework

This project will use best practices and information from previously implemented projects, as well as results and information from the WFD and HD harmonization approach and tested new management methods to create a new and integrated Natura 2000 site management plan.

This plan will serve as a basis not just for protecting species and habitats of EU importance, but will also contain management activities necessary to implement WFD measures, regulate tourism pressures, ensure ecosystem services, etc. It should be emphasized that Natura 2000 site management plans are considered 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, the 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. This will 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 user-friendly electronic format.

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.