On 2 February, World Wetlands Day was marked with public activities to highlight the importance of wetlands in mitigating climate change. Thematic activities are planned throughout February across Latvia. Everyone interested is invited to take part in a total of 19 different thematic events organised by the Nature Conservation Agency (the Agency) – including wetland workshops, hikes, a clean-up event and the Reed Festival, which will help people understand the different types of wetlands and their importance in ensuring quality of life for all. Further information on all wetland events is available at www.tiekamiesdaba.lv.

Wetlands are areas where water accumulates permanently or periodically. These include mires, rivers, lakes, streams, floodplain meadows, wet and waterlogged forests, sea coasts, river deltas, and even man-made water bodies. They are highly significant both in terms of preserving biodiversity and in human life. They ensure water purification, mitigate climate change, store carbon, and serve as a home for various species of plants and animals.

The quality of wetlands is significantly degraded by unsustainable agricultural practices, which are the main cause of wetland loss due to drainage and infilling. Many wetlands, particularly those near urban areas, are heavily polluted. Therefore, the theme of this year's World Wetlands Day is “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing”, highlighting the ecosystem services that wetlands provide for our welfare, as well as our collective responsibility and the action needed to improve wetland quality.

The Agency is organising events throughout Latvia that will introduce the country's wetlands in a variety of ways. This allows everyone to choose the event type and location most convenient for them. For example, in the Kurzeme region, a session titled “Living Užava” is planned, focusing on wetlands and their significance in nature and human life, alongside four hikes, each with a different location, distance, and type of wetland.

In Ķemeri National Park, sessions will be held under the title “Ķemeri National Park – Kingdom of Wetlands”, where, over the course of an hour, participants will find answers to why wetlands are important for both ensuring natural diversity and human wellbeing. There will also be a nature clean-up event in the vicinity of Lake Kaņieris, combining learning about nature with practical action.

In the Latgale region, an event titled “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing” is also scheduled, where participants can learn about wetland protection, discover what natural treasures are hidden within the region's wetlands, use games to get to know wetland plants and animals, watch a short film about Lake Rāzna, and discuss the role and importance of wetlands in nature and human life.

Meanwhile, the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve will host a hike and the Reed Festival, which is also a type of clean-up event. To clear the sea coast of reeds, they are harvested, and the resulting piles of reeds are then turned into reed sculptures through public participation. The event, which has gathered sculptors and spectators in various locations for years, will return this year to the Randu Meadows in Salacgrīva. Current changeable weather conditions have delayed the announcement of the event date, but it will be announced in the near future.

In parallel to these events, sessions dedicated to wetlands for school groups are also taking place throughout February at the Agency's nature centres. The range of events implemented by the nature centres during the wetland month and throughout the rest of the year can be viewed, and sessions can be booked, on the website created by the Agency www.tiekamiesdaba.lv under the “Event Calendar” section.

The most significant wetland areas in Latvia are formed by more than 12,400 rivers and 2,256 lakes larger than one hectare, which, together with artificial reservoirs, cover about 3.7% of Latvia's territory. Mires cover a total of 2.6% of the country's territory, with only about 57% of these being natural, largely unmodified mires.

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat was adopted on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, which is why it is often called the Ramsar Convention or the Wetlands Convention. The Convention is the only international treaty on environmental protection dedicated to a specific ecosystem, and its mission is the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Since the Convention came into force in Latvia on 25 November 1995, six specially protected nature areas and their complexes have been designated and assessed as internationally significant wetland areas, or Ramsar sites: Lake Engure, Teiči and Pelečāre mires, Lake Kaņieris, the Northern mires, the Lubāns wetland complex, and the Pape wetland complex. More information at www.ramsar.org.

The schedule of planned events may be affected by weather conditions. We invite you to follow updates on the Agency’s website www.daba.gov.lv, as well as on social media platforms Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Wetland Month event programme:

Kurzeme

2 February, 14:00-16:00, at the Liepāja Nature House (Zirgu sala 2, Liepāja) – educational lecture and workshops.

10 February, 11:00-13:00, at the Alsunga Craft House exhibition hall – lecture “Living Užava” about floodplain meadows as a significant type of wetland in Latvia.

17 February, 10:00-14:00 – spring hike in Kandava, 5-7 km long (meeting point at Kandava bus station). The route follows the slopes of the Abava Valley to the Ozolāji trail.

18 February, 10:00-13:00 – spring hike in Renda (meeting point at Jāši quarry). A hike through a landscape with little human intervention, exploring the Acleja springs, beaver habitats, and wet forests; rubber boots are mandatory.

24 February, 10:00-13:00 – hike “The Mire Meets the Sea” along the Nida mire, 4-5 km long (meeting point at the Nida cemetery car park). This is a unique place, the only one in Latvia where a raised moss mire borders the sea.

25 February, 10:00-12:00 – hike through the wild horse pastures at Lake Pape (meeting point at the Brušvīti village car park by the wild horse pastures). During the 2 km hike, participants will learn about the history of Lake Pape, its current status, and its natural values. Rubber boots must be worn.

Pierīga (Riga Region)

1, 8, 9, 26, 29 February, 15:30-16:30, at the Ķemeri National Park Nature Centre (Meža māja, Ķemeri) – workshop “Ķemeri National Park – Kingdom of Wetlands”. Participation must be booked in advance via the “Event Calendar” section on the website www.tiekamiesdaba.lv.

12, 13 February, 11:00-12:00, at the Ķemeri National Park Nature Centre (Meža māja, Ķemeri) – workshop “Ķemeri National Park – Kingdom of Wetlands”. Participation must be booked in advance via the “Event Calendar” section on the website www.tiekamiesdaba.lv.

17 February – wetland clean-up on the shore of Lake Kaņieris. The main task will be to maintain the wetland area in the vicinity of the lake; further details on the clean-up will follow.

20, 22 February, 15:00-16:00, at the Ķemeri National Park Nature Centre (Meža māja, Ķemeri) – workshop “Ķemeri National Park – Kingdom of Wetlands”. Participation must be booked in advance via the “Event Calendar” section on the website www.tiekamiesdaba.lv.

Latgale

2 February, 15:00-17:00, at the Rāzna National Park Nature Centre in Lipuški (Skolas iela 3, Lipuški) – public event “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing”.

Vidzeme

24 February in the morning – hike (~10 km) “From Lighthouse to Lighthouse” in Limbaži Municipality along the Vidzeme coast from Ķurmrags Lighthouse to Vitrupe Lighthouse, crossing several wetlands – springs, swampy forests, and small rivers. On the right, the sounds of the Gulf of Riga can be seen and heard throughout the walk. Further information to follow.

Reed Festival at the Randu Meadows in Salacgrīva. Further details of the event will be announced later.