The effects of climate change are multi-faceted and interconnected. There are those that impact people’s social, economic and health well-being while threats associated with the environment range from unbearable droughts to extreme floods, and from scorching heat to unexpected storms.
The Latvian region of Zemgale, which has an estimated population of 228,409 people as of 2020, faces the most immediate challenge of increased flooding, which is already affecting farmland, urban areas and infrastructure such as roads. The phenomenon also threatens biodiversity. While several flood control measures have been taken in Zemgale, much remains to be done.
For this reason, the Zemgale Planning Region is part of the RESIST project and has joined the movement to adapt to the current and foreseeable impacts of climate change. Zemgale is working closely with Central Denmark and Blekinge (Sweden), which have similar challenges but are more advanced and experienced in adapting to climate change.
A Timely Survey
A survey on climate change awareness in local government and cooperation with citizens on environmental management was carried out in six municipalities of the Zemgale region between July and August 2024. Some 68 people from all six municipalities participated in the survey. The poll was conducted at a time when extreme climate events were fresh in the public’s minds given that in 2023 and 2024, Latvia experienced several severe storms, large grain hail, unprecedented rainfall and other natural disasters.
The survey found that expert understanding of climate resilience in the region was point in the right direction; in the ability to adapt, to predict potential risks and trends, to think about solutions to avoid negative impacts on the environment and climate. However, it also found that members of the public and experts had different views of the challenges.
For example, residents are worried about the connection of inadequately defined protective zones with industrial pollution in rivers, unjustified and unexplained excessive cutting of forests, municipalities focusing on maintaining only fish population, as well as insufficiently managed properties. Similarly, citizens do not see municipal action on climate change and resilience, and there is no tangible evidence of climate crisis preparedness.
Local government specialists, on the other hand, are concerned about the level of public knowledge on climate change issues, the threat posed by invasive species in agriculture, the possible long-term damage of wind and solar panel parks, and the threat of the energy crisis. They also see shortcomings in the work of local authorities themselves – a lack of knowledgeable professionals, insufficient financial resources, which are directly related to the living standards of the population and their opportunities to address environmental issues. They are also concerned about potential environmental risks and those that can arise when working recklessly with adaptation to environmental changes, according to the survey.
Lessons Learned
As project manager Raitis Madžulis comments, each exchange visit and partner meeting within the RESIST has its own theme. The visit to Ålesund (Norway) was especially memorable. Here, RESIST partners got to know the ways in which virtual and augmented reality can serve as an educational tool for both residents and specialists and how digital twin tools can simulate how different climate change scenarios will affect societal and environmental systems in the real world. In Vesterålen (Norway), partners visited a room-sized model of the local area, where you can see municipalities, islands and other local elements overlayed with live data. This data can be changed at will to show trends in fishing, warm water currents, infrastructure, and much more.
Madžulis acknowledged that it is necessary to find ideas on how to meaningfully apply such solutions practically in Zemgale as well.
“The overall conclusion is that we still need to do a lot at the municipal level in the field of technology, which is directly related to educating and informing citizens. Also in the questionnaires, the residents have mentioned awareness and education about climate change as one of the main concerns – specifically the topic of floods in the areas of climate change. Seeing what is being done in Norway and Finland, I believe that we should implement such visual and technological solutions,” the project manager said.
The RESIST project activities reaffirm that tackling climate change requires an integrated and collaborative approach. Many risks are interdependent and solving one may lead to solutions for another. This doubly highlights the importance of sharing knowledge to tackle shared challenges.