The digital platform www.urbanwetland.eu developed by the Daugavpils Municipality, as well as the city’s urban wetland management approach, have been included in the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform Good Practice database. This confirms that the solution developed in Daugavpils has been assessed as effective, practically tested, and suitable for transfer to other European regions. This achievement has been made within the framework of the Interreg Europe program project “Accelerating EU mission on net-zero transition through community-led innovation” (SMARTFORM), which aims to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to implement climate policies by promoting experience exchange and the transfer of successful solutions among European regions.
The good practice is based on the digital platform www.urbanwetland.eu, which was developed within the Interreg V-A Latvia–Lithuania Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014–2020 project “Joint Management of Urban Wetland Areas in border region Latvia-Lithuania” (Urb-Area, No. LLI-472), with the aim of raising public awareness of the importance of urban wetlands and the preservation of biodiversity. The platform brings together information on the Esplanāde wetland in Daugavpils and the Green Pond in Anykščiai, including natural values, protected species and habitats, as well as interactive educational materials for different target groups. The digital solutions help residents, including preschool and school-age children, as well as city visitors, to better understand wetlands and their role in mitigating climate change, regulating the water cycle, and preserving biodiversity.
The Interreg Europe Good Practice database includes initiatives that have been independently assessed by experts as innovative, effective, and suitable for implementation in other European countries and regions. Daugavpils example demonstrates that digital solutions can be an important tool in nature conservation, while also promoting public engagement and awareness of environmental issues.
“Wetlands – a group of habitats that includes mangroves, peatlands, rivers, lakes, and deltas – are vital ecosystems that store carbon, regulate the water cycle and support 40% of the world’s biodiversity. However, much of Europe’s wetland areas are in a poor or degraded state, with conservation and restoration urgently needed. This good practice from Latvia shows how citizens can be engaged in the protection of wetland ecosystems through the use of digital tools and the promotion of citizen science. The tool provides a gateway for citizens to share their experiences and further educate themselves. While quite a simple tool, it includes nice features such as games and quizzes to identify bird songs or insects, and the possibility to report nature sightings. This creates a crowd-sourced monitoring platform which helps site managers and experts to assess biodiversity trends. While more traditional conservation and restoration works are still obviously needed, this kind of digital tool can complement these activities by delivering improved data as well as enhanced citizen involvement and awareness. “
James Ling, Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform Expert.
Participation in the SMARTFORM project provides Daugavpils Municipality with the opportunity not only to learn from the experience of other European regions in implementing climate policies, but also to share solutions developed at local level. The international recognition of Daugavpils’ good practice demonstrates that locally developed initiatives can serve as inspiration for other European municipalities and contribute to a more sustainable approach to the preservation of natural values.
The municipality also plans to further develop the www.urbanwetland.eu platform by introducing new features, including an interactive guide service with an AI-supported e-learning tool, within the framework of 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).
Prepared by
Development Department
Investment and International Relations Division
Daugavpils Municipality