Daugavpils City Government in cooperation with Zarasai District Municipality is implementing the project “Joint nature-based preservation of climate change/humans-threatened urban LV-LT cross-border wetlands umbrella biodiversity by innovative solutions, reintroduction and joint management|”, UrbUmbrella/ No. LL-00232, within the framework of the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027. The lead partner of the project is Daugavpils City Government in Latvia, while the cooperation partner in Lithuania is Zarasai District Municipality. In August, the Daugavpils UrbUmbrella project team visited Zarasai in order to discuss the implementation plan, timeline and upcoming activities of the project in person. During the visit, the project partners inspected the Didžioji Island in Zarasai, where, within the framework of the project, a 9.82 ha wetland ecosystem will be restored, as well as the landscape and visitor infrastructure will be improved. The project is implemented within the framework of the priority green and sustainable development, the specific objective of which is to enhance protection and preservation of nature, biodiversity and green infrastructure, including in urban areas, and reducing all forms of pollution.
The urban wetlands of Daugavpils (Latvia) and Zarasai (Lithuania) face common environmental challenges due to their connection by a 12-km waterway within the river Daugava catchment. Home to over 400 rare species, these wetlands are threatened by urbanisation, pollution, climate change, and invasive species. Every year, 20,000 tourists visit the site, which adds additional pressure on the environment. Given these threats, joint protection and restoration of these wetlands are essential for ensuring their sustainability. Hence the project objective: to promote the protection and preservation of biodiversity affected by climate change and human activities by preserving wetlands using nature-based solutions in the urban wetlands of the cross-border region of Daugavpils (LV) and Zarasai (LT).
The project is financed by the Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027:
Total project budget – 749,354.25 EUR
ERDF co-financing 80% – 599,483.40 EUR
Daugavpils City Government project budget – 468,058.00 EUR
Zarasai district Municipality project budget – 281,296.25 EUR
