In early July, the ambitious LAMPA talks festival took place in Cēsis, Latvia for the twelfth time. This year, 1,445 speakers took part in 409 events, and around 27,000 people attended the festival over the two days. Throughout the two days in Cēsis, participants together sought answers to this year’s central question – “What must not go unsaid?”
In our view, in the age of climate change, we must not stay silent about nature-based solutions, including the role of constructed wetlands. That’s why we discussed this topic on one of the “Green Enters the City” discussion stages, seeking answers to the question of how to improve the quality of our waters.
What are floating islands and how do they reduce pollution in cities? How are nature-based solutions used in wastewater treatment and improving water quality? Does a constructed wetland still perform its function in winters like the start of 2026, when air temperatures dropped as low as -30 degrees Celsius? Together with experts in the field, we discussed how to choose the most suitable nature-based solutions, what they cost, and what the long-term benefits are.
The main takeaway from the discussion – it is always more effective to prevent pollution than to try to remedy its consequences later. Speaking about water quality, experts highlighted that it is especially important to reduce pollution from point sources. At the same time, nature-based solutions can be a good tool for reducing pollution and improving water quality.
Other conclusions from the discussion on using NBS to reduce pollution:
A key advantage of NBS is their multifunctionality – they simultaneously improve water quality, promote biodiversity, and provide other benefits;
There is convincing evidence that NBS are also competitive in terms of cost and management, and it is now important to promote their wider implementation;
A good example of the effective use of NBS to improve water quality is constructed wetlands on agricultural land, for which funding from the Rural Support Service has been available in Latvia for several years now;
Sustainable results are not possible without public involvement – what ends up in the sewage system or runs off from agricultural land today will, sooner or later, affect us all, and this is where citizen science activities also play a role.
Discussion participants:
- Inta Dimante-Deimantoviča, Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment “BIOR”, Leading Researcher, Head of the Aquaculture Research and Innovation Infrastructure Centre;
- Linda Grīnberga, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Environmental Engineer and Constructed Wetlands Expert;
- Matīss Žagars, SIA “Saldūdeņu risinājumi”, Freshwater Ecologist, Lecturer at the University of Latvia;
- Edgars Paulovičs, Zemgale Planning Region, Environmental and Education Projects Manager.
Moderated by Līga Stokmane-Blaua, Environmental Expert at the “Baltic Environmental Forum” and EU Climate Pact Ambassador.
Audio recording of the discussion in Latvian (subtitles can be switched to English) here:
On behalf of NATALIE project team we would like to thank all the participants and the audience! We hope the discussions at the LAMPA “Green Enters the City” stage served as a source of inspiration for broader reflection on the role of nature in our lives.
Information prepared by Līga Stokmane-Blaua.
The “NATALIE” project is being implemented under “Horizon Europe – the European Union’s Research and Innovation Framework Programme 2021–2027.”
