Freeport of Riga Shortlisted for ESPO Award
The ESPO Award 2016 will be presented to the port authority that succeeds the best in safeguarding and further upgrading the nature in the port area, both on land and at the waterside.
The five projects that are shortlisted for this year’s Award are the projects of Bremen, Cartagena, Dunkirk, Guadeloupe and Riga.
"ESPO is proud to present the shortlisted projects, before the winner is announced during the official Award Ceremony at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on 9 November," says a statement.
Freeport of Riga Authority (Latvia) has been shortlisted for the ESPO Award 2016. The territory of the Freeport of Riga lies on the Daugava river estuary and includes natural green and blue areas, which occupy about 1/3 of the port area.
"I am truly proud to present for a wider audience this uncommon and inspiring project, representing the interests of the ever-changing habitats of the Daugava river estuaries’ multi- purpose space," says Leonids Loginovs, CEO of the Freeport of Riga Authority.
One of the Freeport of Riga Authority’s (FRA) objectives is to develop more sustainable preconditions for the surrounding urban space.
The project “From science to society. Research and restoration of the Daugava river estuary biotope capacity” helps to assess the green and blue areas of the Daugava estuary from the point of view of sustainability of biological resources and conservation of protected species and biotopes.
The project provides interdisciplinary knowledge and a tool for enhancing sustainable development within the Freeport of Riga, assessing wetland biotopes and ecosystems and the benefits they provide.
20 % of Latvia’s inland territory is covered by wetlands. These are areas with heritage value, where human activities, estuarine nature beauty, natural processes and ecosystem services coexist in harmony.
"Inspired by birds’ sonorous in the sky and winds’ whispers in the Daugava river estuary reeds, we believe that our project should receive recognition based on humanity and deep comprehension of natural values common to every member of the society," says Leonids.
