In Rezekne, the National Forum opened a cycle of events dedicated to the centuries of Latvia

In Rezekne, on 25 November 2016, a project event cycle co-financed by the Latvian Environment Protection Fund, Latvia's centenary and Latgale Congress was launched at the national level forum “Sustainability of Latvia – educated people and preservation of natural values”.
Performers of the event: the Rēzekne Technology Academy (RTA) and partners - the municipality of Rezekne, the municipality of Ludza, the municipality of Livana, the municipality of Madona, the association “Latvian Innovators Association” and the association “Biomass Technology Centre”.
The Forum is the first of six initiatives included in the project “Sustainability of Latvia – educated people and the preservation of natural values”.
The opening event will follow three practical conferences: Ludza, Madona and Lephans. The final forum will be held at the historic date of Latgale Congress, celebrating its reflection centuries, on April 28, 2017 in Rezekne. An exhibition dedicated to the decade of the Nature Park of Razna will be opened during the forum. The measure will provide a final report summarising the relevant expert conclusions and proposals expressed in all six project initiatives.
The objective of the first forum “Sustainability of Latvia – educated people and the preservation of natural values” - to define the prospective opportunities and foreseeable risks in a broad range of experts in order to improve the high-value environmental and regional policy in Latvia and Latgale.
The Forum took part: Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Kaspars Gerhards, Vice-President of the Saeima Sustainable Development Commission Laimdota Straujuma, Vice-President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Andrejs Krasņikovs, President of Latvia's Constitutional Law Advisor Janis Pleps, President of Rēzekne council Alexander Bartachvičs, rector Edmunds Turumnieks of the Rēzekne Technology Academy, President of Ludza District Council Alīna Gendele, Chairman OF the Rēzekne District Council, Monvīds Švarcs, Professor of Riga Stradins University, Chairman of the Council of Higher Education, Janis Kokina, Riga Stradiņš University Professor, President of the Council of Higher Education, Janis Kokina, Riga Stradiņš University Professor, President of the Council of Higher Education, Janis Kokina, Riga Stradiņš University Professor, President of the Council of Higher Education, Jānis Kokins, Riga Stradiņš University Professor, President of the Council of Higher Education, Jānis Kokins, Riga Stradiņš University Professor, President of the Ministry of Higher Education, Jānis Kokins, Riga Stradiņš University Professor, President of the Council of Higher Education, Inese Kokule, Daugavpils University Sciences Prorektore Inese Kokin, head of the Riga Stradiņš University sciences Prorektore Inese Kokun, Head of the Riga Stradiņš University sciences Prorektore Inese Kokin, President of the State Environmental Service Prorektore Inese Kokule, head of the Riga Stradin University sciences Prorektore Inese Kokule, head of the Riga Stradiņš University sciences Prorektore Inese Kokin, President of the State Environmental Service Prorektore Inese Kokun, head of the European Commission's representation in Latvia, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the European Commission of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the European Commission of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andris Jaunsleinis, President of the Council of the European Commission, Andrejs Jermolayev, President of the Council of the European Commission, Anda Zeize, President of the European Commission of the European Commission, President of the Union of Local Authorities of Latvia Andris Jaunsleinis, and other experts from the State and non-governmental institutions.
In plenary and discussions, the experts made significant conclusions and made a number of proposals to the institutions concerned for further work.
Andris Natiņš, board member of the Latvian Innovators Association, describes the main conclusions and proposals:
“The forum discussed the prerequisites for the implementation of sustainable development (highlighting the role of education in this context), the opportunities created by the circular economy, the problems of the exploitation of natural resources in Latvia and Latgale, organised, the living environment and economic activities of modern standards in sparsely populated areas, especially in protected nature areas, as well as several other issues covered by this event. One of the main findings of this forum is that all these and more other themes (ecosystem services) need to be further explored.
The conclusions of the Forum highlighted the following priorities for policy makers and stakeholders in different areas:
- a broad need for cooperation between stakeholders in regional development through both short-term and long-term plans, using the greatest potential of spectrum science;
- the special role of education in sustainable development, which makes it necessary for good practice to be taken over throughout the education cycle;
- the extension of motivation and support measures to the introduction of the principles and approaches of the circular economy, using opportunities for the creation of new products and businesses that it creates;
- the need for high added value in the use of subterranean depths, looking for opportunities to motivate entrepreneurs and researchers in the process;
- the need to review the framework for the management of lakes and the modalities of the exploitation of fish resources, taking into account a complex, research-based approach;
- building strategies for the development of specially protected areas by providing support programmes for the identification and development of various niche activities, which would benefit from the status of a specially protected nature area as an advantage based on bioeconomy and eco-technology knowledge.
The next thematic initiative of the project - a practical conference “how to link environmental protection initiatives with research and entrepreneurship?“ Latgale municipality experience ”will be held on 27 January 2017, Ludza.
The project “Sustainability of Latvia - educated people and preservation of natural values” is dedicated to the centuries of Latvia and is implemented with financial support from the Latvian Environment Protection Fund and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.
 
Main conclusions
 
The information was prepared by:
Andra Mangale,
co-ordinator of the project “Sustainability of Latvia – educated people and the preservation of natural values”
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Mara Justa photo