1. ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE
CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
Martins Menniks
Riga City Council City Development Department
Board of Economics Head of International Projects Division
Phone: +371 67026143
RIGA
Fax.: +371 67012872
E-mail: martins.menniks@riga.lv
ENVIRONMENT

2. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
City size:
The territory of Riga - 304.05 km2
Inhabitants: 703 581 (year 2011)
Assessed direct climate risks:
↗The possibilities of flood in lower areas;
↗The possibility of washing away the shore and the
area near the links zone;
↗Erosion of the shore line in strong storms of North
Western breezes.
Participation in any international climate/energy
initiatives:
↗Aalborg Charter (since 1994);
↗Aalborg +10 (since 2004);
↗Local Agenda 21;
↗Covenant of Mayors (2009);
Current situation with 0,5%, 1%, 5%, ↗European Green Cities (participated in 2006).
10%, 20% un 50% flood probability.

3. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
City targets are set in:
Riga Long Term Development Strategy 2025
Riga Development Program 2006-2012
Riga Spatial Plan 2006-2018
Riga Environmental Programme 2011-2017
Riga Air Quality Improvement Action Programme
2011-2015
Long term Energy action plan 2010 - 2020
Mitigation and adaptation achievements to date
(e.g. CO2 avoided, improvements in energy
efficiency, etc.”):
Since the early 90ies significantly decreased industrial
production;
Low CO2 emissions public and private transport;
House renovation and insulation measures.
Approaches used:
Awareness raising, planning, insulation, project
Relief of Daugava valley managenet (possible green procurement).

4. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
Environmental projects in RIGA City Council:
↗ More than 20 EU co financed projects directly related to
environmental issues;
↗ Mainly referring to the energy and energoeficiency issues;
↗ Approximately 10 investment projects and 10 cooperation
projects (“soft” projects);
↗ in end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 started large scale brown
field regeneration projects;
↗ Keeping on with the heat insulation of public buildings – mainly
schools and kindergartens (Some of the social houses are
renovated)
↗ Different strategic environmental projects are in implementation

5. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
The Ecoregion project
EcoRegion aims at developing the Baltic Sea Region into the world's first
EcoRegion, where economical growth goes hand in hand with environmental
integrity and social justice
Lead partner: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and
Nuclear Safety (Germany)
Project partners: 22 from all BSR countries
Duration of the project: 36 month (Jan 2009 – Jan 2012)
Project budget: 2 983 056 EUR

6. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
The Ecoregion project’s specific objective at the local level is to develop Riga
Environmental programme 2011.- 2017. and as integral part Riga air quality
programme 2011.- 2015. thus ensuring sustainable development against
environmental and climate change.
The actions and the measures within Riga Environmental programme 2011.-
2017. and Riga air quality programme 2011.- 2015. :
↗ Assessed summary of the implementation of Riga Environmental strategy
2000-2010 and analyzed current situation;
↗ Identified qualitative and quantitative hindrances of environment in defined
areas;
↗ Set environmental objectives and tasks for city of Riga;
↗ Developed sustainable implementation plan linked with relevant long-term
strategies;

7. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
Baseline review (up-date)
Core document:
Sustainability report
Target setting
Evaluating and reporting
Core Document:
Evaluation Report
Sustainability targets
Implementation and Political comitment
Monitoring Core Document: Council
Sustainabuility report Aprovement

8. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
TĀD
UZS
MA
OG
ĪJU
PR
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MI
M
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Time scale of the Program
2011. 2013. 2015. 2017. 2018. 2020.
2012. 2014. 2016. 2019.
2011 2012 2013 2017
2014 2015 2016
2018 2019 2020

9. RIGA
Structure of the Program
The AIM of the Program
(Directly linked with the strategic planning documents of Riga)
Task of the program Nr.1 Task of the program Nr.2 Task of the program Nr.3
Criterias Criterias Criterias Criterias Criterias Criterias Criterias
Project Project Project Project Project Project Project Project Project
Project Project Project Project Project Project
Project Projects
Finance Finance Finance Finance Finance Finance Finance
source source source source source source source
9

10. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
„Integrated Strategy for Riga City to Adapt to the Hydrological
Processes Intensified by Climate Change Phenomena”
↗ Part of the territory of Riga often
suffers from flooding. It causes
significant economic and moral loss to
the owners of these territories.
↗ Due to the effects of global warming
the likelihood of flooding and coastal
erosion processes in the territory of
Riga increases even to a greater scale.

11. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
Questions that we would like to
discuss in project:
↗ Development of flood management in your city
- a brief look back in history;
↗ Types of flooding that your cities face;
↗ Mitigation of flood impact – solutions,
techniques, instruments, methods etc.;
↗ Legislation of flood management;
↗ Distribution of liability in flood management;
↗ Impact of flood management on territorial
planning;
↗ Flood management funding arrangements;
↗ Other negative impacts of hydrological
processes (such as coastal erosion etc.) on the
city territory;
↗ Impact of climate changes on flood
management;
↗ Communication with the society;
↗ Recommendations for Riga City.

12. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
The main project actions:
↗ Detailed studies of hydrological processes affecting territory of Riga City and
their current and potential impacts;
↗ Getting acquainted with the experience and best practices in identifying,
planning and managing flood risk zones in 3 European cities;
↗ Development of Flood Risk Management Plan for Riga City;
↗ Development of Methodological guidelines for territorial planning of
different flood risk zones.

13. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
City Environment projects in Riga:
Reconstruction of Red warehouse block in Riga by creating revitalization the
territory and the Daugava river bank (Bicycle road, bank protection, traffic safety,
more green sections)

14. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
Complex Grizinkalna neighborhood revitalization project:
Reconstruction of parks and gardens (4 parks and gardens);
Reconstruction of lighting system in neighborhood – 16 streets (energy
consumption, safety);
Reconstruction of streets, water-supply and sewerage – 7 streets (environmental
problems, , water-supply safety);
Reconstruction of oldest wooden house in Riga.

15. ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
Partners in Environmental issues:
RIGA

16. RIGA
ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGES IN RIGA
THANK YOU
Martins Menniks
Riga City Council City Development Department
Board of Economics Head of International Projects Division
Phone: +371 67026143
Fax.: +371 67012872
E-mail: martins.menniks@riga.lv