Maritime
Since 2017, The Latvian Green Movement (LaGM) and the Association of Disabled People and their Friends “Apeirons” have started work on the development of a unique nature accessibility certificate “NaAc” (Nature Accessible) to ensure accessibility to in the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, observing all the principles of nature protection and also promoting the economic growth of small entrepreneurs and municipalities.
The work on promotion of NaAC Certification scheme through CCB network continued in 2023, comprising of:
- In frame of the main LaGM General Meeting, in March 30, The decision for the members of LaGM was made to continue work and find funds for NaaC in future. It was decided to address also some private business investors.
- Experience exchange trip to learn dune protection and accessibility mechanisms and tools was arranged to visit to Polish and German coastal areas in June 2023 LaGM experts visited several nature reserves and
recreation areas to monitor nature accessibility in coastal areas of Poland and Germany.
Another example of accessibility and social integration into nature conservation was demonstrated with a project in Lviv, Ukraine, where a local subsidy was granted to LСPO "Ecoterra" in 2023 for the reconstruction of the
gardener's house in Rozsadnyk, Lviv. The subsidy was co-financed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Deutschland Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, within the framework of the project: Integrated
development of cities in Ukraine II.
The purpose of this subsidy project is to expand the functionality of the space and create additional conditions for popularizing the culture of urban horticulture and horticulture by bringing the gardener's house to a functional state on the territory of the space with an area of approximately 24.7 m2, which is located next to the previously arranged garden.
Within the framework of the Latvian Green Movement program "Save Latvian Dunes", various projects and events aimed at preserving the coastal dunes have been organized in 2023: pine tree planting, putting up info signs on illegal roads and restoration of the Grey dune; 6 joint works have been arranged in Ventspils, Mersrags and Engure dune ares in April, May and September.
LaGM have set up 30 signs on illegal roads, covering 10 Ha of the sensitive dune area. LaGM restored Grey dune biotopes in 4 joint works – 2 in April and 2 in September in Mersrags and Engure dune areas. Around 100 participants from 3 coastal schools were involved.
Also, the 4th Coastal Youth Forum was held in Roja. The forum in Roja was dedicated to Climate Change, the participants searched for answers to questions of natural environmental processes and performed tasks at 10 the thematic stations located in different parts of Roja. 137 participants from 12 schools took part in the Rojas Forum and
actively shared their experience learned in Coast Watch expeditions.
Awareness raising and engagement in coastal protection
In 2023 CoastWATCH manual was prepared and published. Manual based on inputs from national experience, where such initiatives exist and arranging national workshops and international gatherings of CoastWATCH network.
The CoastWatch module of the Clean Games International app was also developed and launched (with external support from ESG funding from SAP Sweden).
Moreover, the following activities were carried out:
- CCB CoastWatch Days took place from 20th of September to 20th of October 2023.
- Coast Wach - Pollution Monitoring, organized by Latvian Green Movement (LaGM): 7 coastal schools in October participated in CoastWatch and reported their findings in surveys.
- In October, LaGM gathered 137 participants from 12 coastal schools in the 4th Coastal Youth Forum in Roja.
- On 14 of September a clean-up and CoastWatch event were organized in Stockholm, in collaboration with SAP Sweden: 120 ltrs of garbage and ca. 100 kgs of various type of waste were collected.
- Estonia (Rohelinn): Coast watch and Brand audit 5 events (4 schools from Tallinn involved) were organized in October 2023.
- BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany) in the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern conducted a project week with a school class in Prerow about coast and sea in June 2023. Also, BUND organized 54 beach excursions for families and some for school classes, which were held from April to October in 3 spots: Rostock, Graal-Mueritz, Zingst.
In 2023, CCB continued maintaining a beach litter-monitoring network in the BSR gathering knowledge and data following the Clean Games approach and involving more partners into its implementation.
The following 2023 results of the CG clean-ups were reported:
- Latvia, in May: 13 teams from 6 schools with more than 100 participants were fighting for the best results and times. This event was very widely published in local and national media.
- Estonia: 2 events in Tallinn with more than 110 participants.
- Sweden, in September: clean-up and coastwatch event with SAP Sweden.
- 2 workshops: for CCB Baltic Ocean Literacy School in May and for SAP Sweden in September.
Large coastal and offshore infrastructure
One Spatial Planning Game IF I WERE DECISION MAKER was arranged by the Latvian Green Movement on 28 April 2023, in Jurmala, Latvia for Latvian Green Movement (LaGM) adult members and invited experts.
LaGM plans to continue with this Game in other schools and universities in the coming years.
Within recent years the BSR has been experiencing a boost of various large-scale development projects, ranging from pipelines, oil terminals, nuclear power plants and wind parks to navigation canals connecting different watersheds.
In 2023 CCB has continued coordinating with MOs to keep track of development on large infrastructure projects:
- In March 2023, CCB shared its concern to the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) regarding the Lynetteholm project and submitted documents to the Informal consultation session of the Helsinki
Commission (IC HELCOM 1-2023).
- In June 2023, CCB submitted new documents to the Informal consultation session of the Helsinki Commission (IC HOD 3-2023).
- In October 2023, Youth movements sent a letter to the Danish Ministries asking to engage an independent multinational marine expert body to evaluate the Lynetteholm project and stop the project.
- Dam removal and river renaturalisation
- CCB joined a Reply to the European Commission letter of 4 May 2023 on the role of hydropower in the deployment of renewable energies in Europe as an open letter signed by 100 NGOs.
- On the same theme, CCB approached the Minister of Agriculture of Latvia with the letter supporting demolishing the dam of the former Staicele HPP, to resolve the issue of the viability of the river Salaca as the most important salmon river in the Eastern Baltic.
- CCB also addressed the Commissioner Sinkevicius expressing our support to Spanish NGOs and concerns about possible environmental destruction in the region of La Cabrera, province of León Spain.
- Environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine
- CCB condemned the demolition of Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine though continued discussing and monitoring its environmental consequences with Ukrainian NGOs.