Latvia Takes Action to Simplify Lake Restoration Procedures by TRUST ALUM contribution

Overgrown and degraded lakes have become a growing concern in Latvia, prompting a long-awaited step forward: the government now plans to simplify the permitting and coordination process for lake clean-up and restoration activities.

Until now, carrying out even small-scale restoration – like sediment removal or deepening – has involved lengthy and complex approval procedures. These regulatory barriers have slowed down vital ecological work in many regions.

The TRUST ALUM project has highlighted this very issue through its activities at Lake Velnezers, where restoration efforts were carefully monitored and evaluated. You can take a look at the current Technical Regulations and Relevant Legislation for ALUM water treatment method implementation in Latvian waterbodies that was developed by our project partner – State Environmental Service in Latvia.

The project’s experience and insights have helped draw attention to the need for clearer, more efficient frameworks to support science-based restoration across the country. We welcome this legislative development as an important shift toward enabling more responsive, environmentally safe, and community-supported actions for Latvia’s lakes.

You can read more about the plans [in Latvian].

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