Minister for Climate and Energy Kaspars Melnis visited Latgale last weekend to assess the damage caused by the heavy rainfall in person. Recognising that climate change is making extreme weather ever more frequent and unavoidable, the Ministry of Climate and Energy (KEM), working together with industry representatives and members of the Saeima, is developing improvements to the regulatory framework. The aim is to strengthen the resilience of the state and local authorities to heavy rainfall and flooding, and to ensure more effective action and support for the affected regions when such situations arise.
For example, the storm that struck Latvia in July last year brought powerful gusts of wind and caused extensive damage across much of the country. Provisional lost revenue in agriculture was estimated at more than EUR 23 million. Insurance payouts for storm damage, meanwhile, exceeded EUR 25 million. That is the largest volume of insurance compensation recorded in the country for damage caused by a single natural disaster, according to data from the Latvian Insurers Association. Following that storm, a special working group was set up under the leadership of the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa. KEM is now putting into practice both the initiatives discussed in that working group and the regulatory improvements it has begun on its own account.
We are increasingly encountering storm surges driven by strong winds and flooding caused by heavy rainfall, which were not the most common causes of flooding in the past. According to data from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVĢMC), widespread rainfall affected the Latgale region last weekend, flooding several rural areas as well as Madona, Līvāni, Jēkabpils and elsewhere.
"Recognising that two of the most significant challenges in reducing the consequences of flooding are timely preventive action and the availability of funding, we are working actively both on putting the risk management framework in order and on developing a new support programme. Our aim is to ensure a consistent approach to flood risk assessment across Latvia, to encourage the early and effective implementation of preventive measures, and to strengthen oversight. At the same time, we are reducing bureaucratic obstacles by simplifying the processes for clearing and deepening water bodies while setting out requirements for environmental protection. This will make it possible to clear rivers more quickly of sediment, aquatic plants or fallen trees, allowing water to flow more freely and reducing flood risks in the future," emphasises Minister for Climate and Energy Kaspars Melnis.
One positive example in this field is the Carnikava local authority. Given its geographical location at the mouth of the Gauja, the municipality has already introduced a number of flood risk reduction measures well ahead of time – building dams, putting drainage channels in order, introducing monitoring systems and encouraging public involvement. Such a purposeful, long-term approach demonstrates how local authorities can substantially reduce the impact of climate-driven risks on residents and infrastructure.
The planned regulatory changes are intended to strengthen the country's flood risk management system by establishing a shared understanding of potential flood-prone areas and ensuring that flood risk maps are used effectively. Although the flood threat posed by torrential rain is becoming ever more pronounced, particularly in towns and cities, risks of this kind are not reflected in the maps currently in force, because accurate assessment models are lacking.
Work is therefore under way to secure funding for modelling rainfall-induced flood risks so that these data can be incorporated into the maps. The flood risk maps will likewise be included in Cabinet of Ministers regulations, thereby giving them legal force and ensuring a consistent approach to identifying flood-prone areas in flood risk areas of national significance. There are 35 such areas in Latvia in total; more information is available in the flood risk assessment for 2025–2030, which has been approved by order of the Minister for Climate and Energy.
Financial support for reducing flood risks is at present being provided most extensively for rural areas under the Recovery and Resilience Facility administered by the Ministry of Agriculture. That funding is earmarked for restoring and strengthening land drainage systems, which is essential to protecting agricultural land from flooding.
To make a wider range of financial instruments available to local authorities, KEM is currently working on a support programme for local authorities and their municipal companies to implement adaptation measures in municipal areas (populated places) in order to reduce and prevent flood risks and increase the resilience of urban infrastructure, thereby promoting adaptation to climate change. The programme's funding is estimated at up to EUR 40 million, and it is expected that the programme could be available in the first quarter of 2026.
To ensure that rivers are cleared quickly and effectively, KEM has drawn up new river clearing regulations as part of its wider reform of environmental requirements; these are currently at the consultation stage on the legislation portal. The regulations incorporate the standardisation of environmental protection requirements – that is, wherever possible, the requirements are set out in Cabinet of Ministers regulations, thereby making it possible to avoid having to request various opinions and approvals at the time the river clearing takes place. This approach makes it possible to harmonise requirements across the country and to devote more effort to environmental protection oversight rather than to preparing documentation.
Drawing on the experience of the Baltic states' electricity grid synchronisation project, KEM has also introduced a coordination mechanism for storms and floods. Under this mechanism, KEM meets quarterly with representatives of local authorities' civil protection commissions (CAK) and organises practical exercises. These simulate various risk scenarios and provide an opportunity to exchange good practice. Exercises of this kind were held recently, in mid-May, involving five local authorities – one from each region of Latvia. KEM plans to continue meeting and working regularly with specialists who deal in practice with preventing and reducing flood risks.