PROBLEMS OF COASTAL EROSION PREVENTION IN LATVIA

1. PROBLEMS OF COASTAL EROSION PREVENTION IN LATVIA LīgaBrūniņa, Mg.env., PhD student Pēteris Rivža, Dr.habil.sc.ing., profesor Latvia University of Agriculture

2. Coastal processes along Latvia’s coastal areas during Post–Litorina time (2500–2000 years). Compiled by G.Eberhardsand J. Lapinskis.

3. Characteristics ofLatvianCoasts • Total length nearly 497km; • Approximately 65%ofcoasts is under coastal erosion; • 1 million population living 5-10km alongcoastal area; • Coastal area includes 24 municipalities;

4. Characteristics ofLatvianCoasts • 45% of the Latvian seacoasts are located within the borders of Natura 2000; • 20% are covered by cities and ports with nearby territories; • 90% of Coastal dune belt area consists of habitats under protection in Europe; • 15% represents priority habitats.

5. LatvianCoastsaredivided • CoastoftheBalticproper (nida to CapeOvīsrags c 183km) • Coastofthe Irbe Strait (CapeOvīšrags – Kolka c 70km) • Kurzeme Coast (Cape Kolka to Jūrmala c 100km) • SouthCoast (Jurmala to Skulte Harbour c 74km) • Vidzeme coast (Skulte to Ainaži c 60km)

6. Coastline of Latvia, including main rivers, harbours and direction of integral sediment transport http://www.paic.lv/en/problemas_2.php

7. Influence offactorsin 5 coastzones

8. Comparingfactors • Annual impact by ports (c 1-5 mill.m3) are similar to strong storm appearing 1 in 3 years (in 2005 - c 3mill.m3); • Summary of these factors has been estimated that Latvia lost till 1000 ha of territory. • Sea water levels have increasedduringstormsurges (Liepaja, Pavilosta, Kolka, Daugavgriva), while the average sea level increasehas been negligible. The severe storm season hasincreased (from October—November to February oreven March). Especiallycharacteristic are Januarystorms with positive air temperatures and a lack ofground freezing and coastal ice formations (Eberhards & Purgalis 2008).

9. The coastal policy in Latvia • All the EU directives regarding NATURA 2000; • Protection Zone Law; • LawonEnvironmentalImpactAssessment; • Construction Law; • Regional level development programmes and local scale – municipal detailed plannings.

10. ICZM implementationinLatvia • Still the Latvian strategy for ICZMis considered as part of National Spatial Planning; • Guidelines on Sustainable Coastal Spatial Planning 2011-2017atthedevelopment process; • NewTerritorySpatialPlanningLawatthedevelopment process.

12. Mainproblemsregarding ICZM inLatvia • No analysis of the influence of various sectors as well as the economic and social studies on the quality and implementations of the spatial plans of municipalities and districts have been carried out on a regular basis; • Problemsdue to fragmentation of land-owners’ structure along the coast resulting in diverse interests.

13. Project “CoastalprotectionagainsterosioninLiepaja WWTP”

14. Project “CoastalprotectionagainsterosioninLiepaja WWTP” • topography, bathymetry, wind and waves regimes, streaming and water density, shoreline profile, geomorphology, sediment and geology as well as dredging performance, etc. • new elaborated mathematic one- and two-dimensional models were used in the frames of project provided for research of wave transformation, stream, load transport and shoreline reaction on storms. • The modelling area covered 7km long coastline and model was provided for forecasting of erosion in the time period approximately 30 years. • The results showed that 3 technically based alternatives are useable for protecting coastline from erosion, particularly one “Super-mole” approximately 500m long, two wave-breakers and artificial shoreline feeding with sediments.

15. Project “CoastalprotectionagainsterosioninLiepaja WWTP” • feasibility study in order to find the best as well as economically and technically justified solution where technical, maintenance, environmental protection and economic aspects where taken into account. • The technical aspects evaluate building possibilities and material availability due to local individualities, the aspects of maintenance covered institutional capacity, local shoreline management strategy as well as possibility to change dredging methods of Liepaja city port. • The environmental impact assessment included observing of tourism, fishing and biodiversity, especially on fish resources, and to weigh of nearest shoreline territories in the terms of cultural and nature monuments (JewishMemorial). • The economic evaluation techniques particularly cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis were used for ascertain the most effective alternative. The discount rate, labour, material and maintenance expenses were taking account for the 20 year long time period.

16. Project “CoastalprotectionagainsterosioninLiepaja WWTP” • The sensitivity analysis was made for verifying impact of mole (location and length) and nature (hidro-meteorological, granulometry of sediments and transporting sufficiency) parameters on taken solution. During sensitivity analysis it was assumed that for 6 year time period the shoreline feeding will not be done and the existing coastal protection solution will be supported, the mole will be built up within one year, intermediary storm season and within it`s lifetime circa 60 year the evaluation of coastline configuration is permanent. • The analysis showed only two sensitive quantitative parameters videlicet; length of mole and granulometry of sediments. For providing of sediments accumulation is not allowed to reduce length of mole below 456m and the growth of shoreline will be affected if the size of sand groin will be less than assumed.

17. Mainresults • Generalopinion – allcoastalprotectionactivitiesmust be approved by Construction Board, in order to avoid erosion to even larger extent, especially in cases of hard-solution construction; • Many of the coastal protection structures are illegal, especially in cases of greenery and in hard-solution cases; • The research shows that alternating criteria such as discount rate and inflation have a huge impact on expenses of alternatives in absolute values of economic model. Such adjoining external factors like political decisions and economic environment was recognized as those that have a major impact on absolute and relative expense values of chosen alternative.

18. Recommendationsforfuture • Following steps should be taken by responsible authorities, particularly the most important is developing of cooperation between related institutions, the common strategy in national level should be established, the guidelines for regional level management should be elaborated as well as the further research is more than essential. The necessity of consequent and forecasted budget line is a precondition because of impact of the economic activities on gross domestic product. • The alternate criteria for economically based solution should be defined for long term period. Therefore principles of sustainable development require the using of economically based solution and criteria which shall be established in national level.

19. Recommendationsforfuture • To carry out a comparatively evaluation of erosion problems in Latvian coastal area and to solvelandownershipanduseproblemalongthecoastline; • To estimate the costs of wash off lands, taking into account added value, financial revenue as well as macroeconomic and microeconomic factors; • To appraise sustainable coastal protection possibilities and their necessity in concrete region determining the optimal balance between satisfaction of needs and economically justified solutions; • To elaborate a damage calculation model for the costs of coastal land loss caused by erosion, taking into account both individual/private losses and optimizing the common balance of natural economics.

20. Спасибо за внимание!