Time: June 13-14, 2019
Venue: The University of Latvia, Academic Center for Natural Sciences (Jelgava street 1, Riga, Latvia)
Description: The goal of this conference is to raise awareness of peatlands’ role in climate change mitigation. Themes of the conference include:
- The influence of differently managed peatlands on climate change mitigation; development of national GHG emission factors;
- After-use of peatlands affected by peat extraction; recommendations for their sustainable management;
- Inclusion of assessment of ecosystem services in the planning of future use of degraded peatlands.
Conference is organized by: Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia, Latvian Peat Association, Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava” and NGO “Baltic Coasts” within European Commission LIFE programme project LIFE REstore. More information: restore.daba.gov.lv
Conference plan: Conference will be held over two days:
- June 13, 2019 – Day 1: at the Academic Center for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia expert presentations, poster sessions, demonstrations of LIFE REstore database and optimisation model of degraded peatlands will take place;
- June 14, 2019 – Day 2: the field trip to LIFE REstore demonstration sites where different after-use scenarios of degraded peatlands were implemented, GHG emission measurement demonstration.
Registration for the conference: We kindly ask you to register for the conference till May 30, 2019. There is no participation fee. https://ej.uz/LIFE_REstore_konference
Working language: Latvian and English (simultaneous translation will be provided).
Agenda of the conference: on the next page.
LIFE REstore International Conference “Sustainable Management of Degraded Peatlands and Climate Change Mitigation”
June 13-14, 2019, The University of Latvia, Academic Center for Natural Sciences (Jelgava street 1, Riga, Latvia)
Agenda
June 13, 2019
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8.30 |
Registration |
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9.00 |
Significance of peatland management in the context of nature conservation. Juris Jātnieks, Director General of Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia |
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9.10 |
The contribution of LIFE programme in Latvia. Ilona Mendziņa, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Deputy Director of Department of Nature Protection |
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9.20 |
LIFE REstore – the first climate project of EU LIFE programme in Latvia. Framework and achievements. Ieva Saleniece, LIFE REstore Manager, Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia |
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Session 1 – Impact of Peatlands on Climate Change Mitigation |
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9.40 |
Objectives of EU LULUCF sector for climate change mitigation, and their achievement (video-conference). Giacomo Grassi, European Commission, JRC |
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10.20 |
The contribution of LIFE REstore project in development and implementation of climate policy. Ilze Prūse, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Director of Climate Change Department |
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10.35 |
The contribution of LIFE REstore project to improvement of activity data for accounting greenhouse gas emissions due to management of wetlands. Andis Lazdiņš, LIFE REstore Expert, Senior Researcher at Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava” |
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10.55 |
Coffee break, poster session, LIFE REstore short films, demonstration of database of peatlands affected by peat extraction and optimisation model |
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11.25 |
Results of GHG emission measurements in differently managed peatlands in Latvia – the basis for new national GHG emission factors. Ainārs Lupiķis, LIFE REstore Expert, Researcher at Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava” |
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11.55 |
Paris 2015 and peatlands – vision and reality. Experience in Europe with different after-uses of degraded peatlands during last decades. Bernd Hofer, International Peat Society, Chair of Peatland and Environment Commission |
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12.25 |
Panel Discussion: LULUCF sector, national GHG emission factors |
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12.50 |
LUNCH |
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Session 2 – Management recommendations for peatlands affected by peat extraction |
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13.30 |
Conditions of peatland management in Latvia after peat extraction. Recultivation types of degraded peatlands and recommendations for sustainable management. Ingrīda Krīgere, LIFE REstore Expert, Member of the Board of Latvian Peat Association |
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13.50 |
Importance of ecosystem services provided by Latvian mires. Andris Širovs, Director of Nature Conservation Agency, Pierīga Regional Administration |
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14.05 |
LIFE REstore developed optimisation model for sustainable management of territories affected by peat extraction. Elina Konstantinova, LIFE REstore Expert, Association “Baltic Coasts” |
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14.20 |
Functional land management model – a tool for planning of sustainable land management policy. Aleksejs Nipers, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Economics and Regional Development, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies |
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14.40 |
Linking the LIFE REstore recommendations for after-use of degraded peatlands with Guidelines for sustainable use of peat. Kristīne Gāga, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Senior Expert at Department of Environmental Protection |
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14.50 |
Responsible peatland management in Latvia. Uldis Ameriks, Chairman of the Board of “Laflora” Ltd. |
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15.05 |
Coffee break, poster session, LIFE REstore short films, demonstration of database of peatlands affected by peat extraction and optimisation model |
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15.35 |
Peatland restoration at a national scale: Scotland’s Peatland ACTION project. Emily Taylor, Peatland ACTION Project Officer, Crichton Carbon Centre |
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15.55 |
Pennine PeatLIFE – geographically appropriate Sphagnum-based bog restoration techniques. Paul Leadbitter, Pennine PeatLIFE Manager |
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16.15 |
Peatland renaturalization experience in Latvia and results of vegetation studies in LIFE REstore project. Māra Pakalne, LIFE REstore Expert, University of Latvia, Association “Baltic Coasts” |
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16.30 |
Wise use of degraded peatlands – tool to mitigate climate change. Nerijus Zableckis, Executive Director of Lithuania Fund for Nature, LIFE Peat Restore |
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16.50 |
Experiences and challenges of restoration and use of peatlands in Estonia. Juri-Ott Salm, Project Coordinator, Estonian Fund for Nature, LIFE Mires Estonia |
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17.10 |
Closing of the conference |
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* Vegetarian options of menus will be available for lunch.
** Conference program may be revised.
Other activities on the conference Day 1, June 13
- Poster sessions
- Demonstration of database of peatlands affected by peat extraction
- Demonstration of optimisation model for sustainable management of peatlands affected by peat extraction
- Demonstration of LIFE REstore short films
- Peat sculpture “Human and nature”
- Photography exhibition “Restoring Peatlands for Climate”
June 14, 2019 – FIELD TRIP TO LIFE RESTORE DEMONSTRATION SITES
We invite you to use transport provided by LIFE REstore – from Academic Center for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia, Jelgavas Street 1, Riga, Latvia, at 8.20.
Field trip to LIFE REstore demo sites where after-use types of peatlands affected by peat extraction were implemented.
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8.30 |
Departure from Rīga to Jelgava municipality |
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10.00 |
Introduction of responsible peatland management in Kaigu Mire, at peat extraction and processing company “Laflora” Ltd. |
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10.30 |
Visit to LIFE REstore afforestation demo site |
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11.30 |
Demonstration of greenhouse gas emission measurement process |
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12.00 |
Picnic lunch |
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12.30 |
Visit to LIFE REstore highbush blueberry plantation demo site |
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13.00 |
Departure to Riga (return at 14.30) |
The LIFE REstore International Closing Conference is organized with the financial support of European Commission LIFE Programme and the Administration of Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, within the framework of project “Sustainable and responsible management and re-use of degraded peatlands in Latvia” (LIFE REstore, LIFE14 CCM/LV/001103).
