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State of the Environment in Riga 2001
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Green areas

 FORESTS

Remarkably important parts of green areas of the City are forests, especially on the coastal areas. In total they occupy 5819.6 ha or 18.95 % of the cities territory. Forest areas are being most intensively exploited for leisure close to residential areas, which cause forest degradation, for instance erosion. On the whole forests if managed as nature parks will serve as the resource areas for recreation and ecological education.

 

  

 

 GREENERY


The history of Riga 's greenery has its roots already in the mediaeval times. The most prolific period in the development of Riga 's public gardens started when talented and successful landscape architect George Kuphaldt became the city's landscape architect. The principles of garden planning, formulated by Kuphaldt at the beginning of 19th century, were continued by his student Andrejs Zeidaks and later by Karlis Barons. Nowadays parks and gardens are among protected heritage sites of the City.

Public parks and gardens (see Figure 67)  are supervised by the Environmental Department of Riga City Council and maintained by municipal enterprise "Riga`s Gardens and Parks", which is already more than 120 years of existence. The City is reconstructing and renovating the public gardens and parks.

During Soviet time, the territory of the City was expanded remarkably and builds up withresidential areas and industries . About 480 - 485 thousand or about 60 % of Riga`s residents live there. The areas of greenery were planned there as well, but nowadays the quality of plantings is of low quality and maintenance is insufficient. The area of them should be updated.

 

 


 MEADOWS

 

The meadows present one of the most valuable ecosystems of the city.  Meadows of the City are located on the estuaries of Daugava and Lielupe Rivers, on the coastline of Riga Gulf, in Spilve and at the Kisezers and Juglas lakes.

Most fragile territories of Riga's greenery, including the meadows, are protected by law (Regulation No 212 of the Republic of Latvia Cabinet of Ministers "Regulation on Nature Reserves", 15.06.1999. and Regulation No 83 of the Republic of Latvia Cabinet of Ministers "Regulation on Nature Parks). There are six protected areas of nature of national importance in Riga, of which five are nature reserves:

  • Daugavgriva
  • Jauciems
  • Kremeri
  • Vecdaugava
  • Vakarbulli 
  • Coastal Nature Park

Nature reserves occupy 797 ha or 2.60% of the City's territory. The area of Coastal Nature Park within the City needs the update (see Figure 66 ).

At the present, no one of the territories has the management plan, which causes obstacles in their purposeful management.

 

 

 

 

This page was last updated: 2003.03.31.