Raimonds Ernšteins (Ed)

Transcription

1 BALTIC SEA, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD: GOVERNANCE AND COMMUNICATION FOR COASTAL MUNICIPALITIES Raimonds Ernšteins (Ed) Department of Environmental Management Faculty of Economics and Management University of Latvia Rīga 2013

2 DRAFT Title Baltic Sea, Environment and Sustainable Food: Governance and Communication for Coastal Municipalities / Baltijas jūra, vide un ilgtspējīga pārtika: Pārvaldība un komunikācija piekrastes pašvaldībās The FOODWEB is co-financed by the European Union Central Baltic INTERREG IV A Programme The contents of this publication represent the views of the publishers. The authorities are not responsible for the contents of this project. Authors Valdis Antons, Selīna Ābelniece, Oskars Bērziņš, Raimonds Ernšteins, Juris Frīdmanis, Madara Kalniņa, Jānis Kauliņš, Ivars Kudreņickis, Sintija Kuršinska, Elīna Līce, Anita Lontone, Māra Lubūze, Solvita Muceniece, Alda Ozola, Ilva Paidere, Diāna Šulga, Aigars Štāls, Anete Šturma, Ēvalds Urtāns, Ilga Zīlniece, Līga Zvirbule Project leader and editor: Prof. Raimonds Ernšteins Project coordinator: Diāna Šulga English translation: Andris Ķepals, Diāna Šulga, Raimonds Ernšteins Designer: Valdis Antons Department of Environmental Management Faculty of Economics and Management University of Latvia 19 Raina Blvd., Riga LV 1586, Latvia University of Latvia,

3 Contents INTRODUCTION... 4 Sustainable food governance and communication development assessment and proposals in Latvia SUSTAINABLE FOOD GOVERNANCE AND COMMUNICATION Sustainable food governance framework in Latvia: collaboration and communication Environment and Health in the Coastal Municipalities: Food and Environmentally Friendly Behavior Sustainable food governance development perspective on the local municipality level Environmentally Friendly and Healthy Food: Communication Process ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE AND COASTAL MUNICIPALITIES: CHALLENGES AND METHODOLOGIES Municipal development planning and environmental governance in Latvia: methodology for integrated approach and complementary development of instruments Sustainable coastal development in Latvia: Integrated communication and indicators application Public Participation Principle for Dunes Sustainable Management: Coastal Partnerships and Collaboration Communication Complementary components of coastal risk communication in theory and practice: information and education, participation and behavior ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE AND COASTAL MUNICIPALITIES: RESILIENCE UNDERSTANDING AND (SELF) TRAINING Municipal Education for Sustainability in Latvia: Self-experience and Sustainability Communication Process Prerequisites Towards complementary municipal and social resilience understanding: stakeholder training on coastal sustainability governance and communication MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING: THEMATIC GUIDELINES Environmental Governance action Program Guidelines: Salacgrīva Coastal Municipality Environmentally Friendly and Healthy Food Governance: Salacgrīva Coastal Municipality MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE SUPERVISING SYSTEM AND SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS Indicators and their use for monitoring of planning documents Methodological developments of indicator system: Examples CONCLUSION REFERENCES

4 Introduction Sustainable food governance and communication development The food sector is the second largest polluter of environment with significant impact on natural resources air, water, soil quality, climate and biological diversity. It has been stated that food life cycle causes one of the largest impacts on environment in the world, 20-23% of total number. To prevent and reduce these adverse loads caused by food sector, it is necessary to promote the development and governance of sustainable food sector, which is not possible if all of the food life cycle stages are not considered, starting with product growth, processing, distribution and consumption. In order to ensure effective sustainable food governance in each of the food life cycle stages, it is necessary to understand the notion of what sustainable food is. Sustainable food is safe and healthy food obtained by environmentally friendly methods and is available to all community groups, as well as supports rural economy and diversity of agricultural crops, respects higher standards of animal health and welfare. Likewise, the sustainable food contributes to the reduction of negative loads on environment and increases biological diversity as well as promotes sustainable use of natural resources and reduction of climate change (Reisch, 2010). Sustainable food governance ensures the application of different efficient devices in each of the stages of food cycle food acquisition, processing, distribution and consumption. To deal with the sustainable food governance, one cannot analyze each stage of food life cycle separately- they have to be viewed as the complex entity. The food governance can be effective and sustainable if the integration of food issues is carried out in all of the governance levels- national, regional and local. In order to achieve it, common sustainable food strategy to follow must be elaborated in the country, because the present situation reveals that the sustainable food governance does not take place in the country according to common cooperation principle- it is very fragmented and not mutually coordinated. The policy of food sector governance clearly indicates how the environmental policy integration takes place in other policy areas that are related to food life cycle and how successful it is. Several ministries are connected with food life cycle on national level, but the main institution responsible for the development of food sector and agricultural spheres in Latvia is the Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia (MA). The integration of environmental policy into sectors governed by MA is of great significance, only in such a way it can effectively ensure the main mission of the ministry (the ultimate goal) to take care about healthy and safe food for its residents, promote the welfare of people livening in the country side and ensure the prerequisites for sustainable management of natural resources of Latvia (Ministry of Agriculture, RL, 2012). The Food department has been established in the ministry whose main goal is to ensure ministerial functions in terms of food safety and quality, animal health and welfare. One of the pre-conditions that ministry has to follow to ensure sustainable development of food sector and improve its governance, is the vertical and horizontal integration among the branches governed by MA- agriculture, rural development, fish farming and forestry. The second important institution on national level is the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (MEPRD). The reduction of environmental impact in each stage of food life cycle is under its 4

5 responsibility. While the Ministry of Economics (ME) supports and stimulates local food producers and processors by ensuring them favorable economic climate in the country, but the Ministry of Healthcare (MH) supervises the impacts of food and diet on public health. On regional level, there are several institutions that are subordinated to national level institutions which supervise and control different stages food life cycle, in order not cause threats to surrounding environment, public health, promoting the growth of sustainable food. The Food and Veterinary Service, being among the most important ones, ensure the control of food circulation in all of Latvia. The Rural Support Service (RSS) supervises the adherence to legislative acts in the field of agriculture and performs other functions related to the policy realization of agriculture and rural support. The planning regions should be definitely mentioned, where the municipalities in question are locatedthese ensure the development planning, coordination of the region, collaboration among municipalities and other public governance institutions. As refers to the local governance level, the municipalities have to take the role of mediator between food producers and households, though it is not strictly stipulated by the law. It should supervise if all of the involved target groups- public, entrepreneurs, and mediators are provided with the information from the government, regional and local governance level institutions, as well as use the different governance instruments through active participation in order to promote sustainable food growing and consumption in the territory of municipality. The problem statement of the project work research and development no ultimate strategic goal has been put forward to be reached among different governance levels and in governance levels itself in order to promote and ensure the sustainable food life cycle governance in Latvia. In the institutions of national level in the ministries, there is insufficient environmental policy integration and mutual coordination of different policy areas that would promote sustainable food governance. To ensure it, the responsible ministries which are involved in any of stages of food life cycle, it is necessary to promote mutual cooperation in joint resolution of problematic issues. There is insufficient cooperation on the regional level among regional institutions dealing with questions related to surrounding environment or any of the stages food lifecycle. The municipalities use insufficiently particularly communication instruments and the available governance instruments in order to promote the collaboration among different target groups and ensure sustainable food governance in their territories. On the level of households there is not sufficient cooperation among local food producers, domestic industries and consumers. Latvian state administration institutions do not provide systematic communication for sustainable food consumption with society that would in positive way influence the implementation of sustainable food consumption in the territories of Latvian municipalities. The constructive cooperation of state administration institutions with mediators, particularly with scientific centers, libraries and museums is one of the options how to improve the communication for sustainable food consumption, that would facilitate the compliance with sustainable consumption principles in Latvian municipalities, consequently improving economical growth, health of population and quality of environment. As the concept communication for sustainable food consumption is new, and that questions about the impact of food consumption have been highlighted only some years ago. In elaboration of theoretical framework of communication for sustainable food consumption, theoretical framework and the best conclusions and solution of thematic communication, including environmental, health, development, risk and science communications will be adjusted to the development of communication for sustainable 5

6 food consumption, referring to Swedish experience in dealing with this problem, using the advantages of communication instruments. In order to understand what attention is paid to sustainable food consumption problems in Latvia and its municipalities, the research will review the laws of the Republic of Latvia, pertaining to municipalities and their development planning, as well as documents determining the food circulation process (Law on municipalities, Law on food circulation and supervision and others), municipal planning documents, guidelines of national documentations (LIAS2030, NDP) and international documents (RIO, RIO+20, Agenda 21, Process of Marakesh). Scientific centers are informal educational establishments where exhibits and expositions are available that explain different scientific processes and cycles in nature, human body, and others, doing it in attractive and interactive manner, in such a way drawing attention of children and teenagers but also interest of parents. These are established with the purpose to provoke curiosity for visitors and reveal different hidden geniuses. It is important that visitors can freely touch, switch on, move, open, close and otherwise explore the exhibits, using all their senses. Such scientific and curiosity centers are becoming more and more popular, both in Latvia and in the world.. The activities of library are based on selection of different cooperation partners, the main of which for ensuring the general activities, municipality institutions and non governmental organizations must be pointed out. The public libraries, in particular, carry out the widest range of library functions. They do not only provide information, education and entertainment services, but also perform the functions of public center, especially in small towns. This is determined by the fact that public libraries are available to everybody and they are democratic, available to all interested people, regardless of the purpose of the visit to the library. The existing museums in the territory of municipality function in a similar manner, which by the help of through active and purposeful activities through different interactive measures, contrary to accustomed prejudice that it is possible to see only static exhibitions, promote the interest of visitors and educate them about ancient traditions that are often related to the environment. Museums are engaging more and more actively in cultural and social events organized by municipality as well as are often visited, because they have learned to carry away visitors like scientific centers. Considering this, the functions of scientific centers, libraries and museums can be developed turning them into local scale communication centers, where information exchange about sustainable food consumption is ensured among all of the target groups, and providing the possibilities how each of the interested persons can be involved in his/her own favorable activities. The project work was based upon previous research work about the experience of Latvian municipalities within the context sustainable food consumption, as a basic source of information, using the results of international projects Foodweb and Foodlinks where certain Latvian municipalities are also involved. The research about food quality, safety and its impact on health and environment carried out by Food and Veterinary Service and environmental scientific institute BIOR and previously carried out research about food safety animal health were used in this work. The role of scientific centers, libraries and museums promoting communication for sustainable food consumption in society was determined in research, examining how successfully new communication instruments are in practice and whether the mentioned institutions acknowledge their role in promoting sustainable food consumption in municipalities of Latvia. 6

7 1. Sustainable Food Governance and Communication 1.1. Sustainable food governance framework in Latvia: collaboration and communication Anita Lontone, Raimonds Ernšteins, Ilva Paidere, Oskars Bērziņš, Līga Zvirbule, Ilga Zīlniece, Juris Frīdmanis The environmental aspect and knowledge of food safety is becoming more important when selecting one s diet from one side and taking into account national and regional/ local governance responsibilities from other side in order to aim for sustainable food production and consumption (FP&C). Taking into account, that sustainable FP&C is not only a complex public and environmental management issue, that covers all levels of management and stakeholder groups, as well as the results in socio-economic factors (reduction of environmental impacts, changes in consumption patterns, etc.) can be achieved only in the long-term, where these take holder group targeted coloration is particularly important. The project Baltic environment, food and health: from habits to awareness (FoodWeb) is aiming at raising public awareness about the links between food, environment and the related risks, and thus involving at the local level particularly, both local municipalities and all main mediators - NGOs, schools, museums, libraries, science and the media. Project field studies in urban and rural coastal pilot regions in Latvia has been carried out in , performing case study research (CSR), incl. complementary methods as document analysis, interviews and questionnaires. Municipal governance and environmental management existing instruments are diverse enough to potentially influence and promote FP&C at local level. In the FP&C governance and communication process (national and regional/local) the collaborative communication model shall be used - approaches and tools in information and education, as well as public participation and adequate behavior to be used in a complementary way. FoodWeb project partners and regional framing outcome The EC Interreg project is implemented in the Eastern Baltic sea Region and the partners in the Foodweb-project are: MTT Agrifood Research Finland as the lead partner, the University of Tartu, The science exhibition centre AHHAA, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), the University of Latvia. Foodweb project partners performed also feasibility study parallel and complementary in Finland, Estonia and Latvia here are short versions of the main conclusions. Feasibility study conclusions (FoodWeb) 1. When looking at the consumption habits in the long term the result of diminished differences between the countries is seen. 2. The nutritional recommendations in all countries include limitation of consumption of fat, especially animal fat, meat products and promotion of 7

8 8 vegetable consumption. Recommended share of fat, carbohydrates and proteins equal in every country. In Latvia and in Finland the consumption of fish is limited to 2-3 times a week. 3. In the project area we share the common concern of environment and food safety issues. Majority of the residents are concerned about toxicants found in food. 4. During the past decades variety of toxic compounds (DDT, PCB, dioxins) have emanated to the Baltic Sea as a result of human activity, and they still accumulate to the biota and to the top of the food chain. 5. Amount of dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs in Baltic Herring can exceed the acceptable daily limit. 6. Consumers prefer locally produced food and amount of organic production is increasing. In spite of that, consumers do not know that cultivation of food and related production activities might cause negative impacts to the Baltic Sea. 7. Agriculture, transportation and wastewaters from the industry, energy production and urban areas have strongly increased the nutrient load in the sea % of nitrogen and 52 % of 14 phosphorus come from agriculture and the livestock sector. 9. Climate change currently has unpredictable effects on the Baltic Sea. Heavier rains in winter will presumably increase erosion and nutrient leaches to the Baltic Sea [8]. Methodology general problem orientation and research approach Municipalities underestimate the need for and potential benefits of both promoting the participation in the decision-making processes of all interest groups in the municipality, as well as promoting their co-operation and experience exchange, Excessive variety of information and an unclear communication platform in the public on food in relation to environmental health Food issues, although broadly reflected in the information space, are still insufficiently cognitively mastered, Production and consumption of food products may have negative effects on human and environmental health and inflict environmental loads, In sufficient understanding of green or environment and health friendly food consumption and its sustainable development. Study is carried out in , performing field studies in urban coastal and rural environment FoodWeb pilot regions are Ventspils, Liepāja, Salacgrīva, Kolka Study comprises qualitative and quantitative research methods, using integrated case study research method: Document analysis analysis of planning and legislative documents, reports and other studies, Interviews - in-depth and focus group interviews on food and environmental management development in local municipalities, environmental management instruments, integration and stakeholder group-co-operation, Questionnaires - analysis of sustainable food promotion in coastal municipalities.

9 R&D traditional approach was also applied as mutually beneficial for university and municipalities. Case studies were performed in the project pilot regions, in coastal municipalities, as collaborative work with local stakeholders for analysing current situation /experience of coastal mgt. and particularly in habitants environmentally friendly behavior and awareness in general and food consumption and Communication especially. Resource materials gathered /structured /designed and fur the reaction directions discussed/ planned from these case studies have been presented to municipalities and partially in targeted in both decision making process and municipal planning documents. Municipal stakeholders and sustainable food communication Sustainable FP&C communication has been improved during the last years and can be used as an effective tool at both national level and local one, but difficulties with information, perceptions and related behavior certainly do exist and shall be more studied and an innovative communication process approaches has been designed, also during our project as decided by involving all complementary communication instruments and all target groups, but mediators especially. Environmental Communication 4-partite Cycle Model (R. Ernšteins) is based on environmental communication as a multilateral information exchange and collaboration expansion process. It is based on four key components: environmental information, environmental education, public participation and environmentally friendly action. Environmental information: information is easily accessible but it is excessive: consumer faces difficulty in assessing objectivity of information on green food, consumption, goods etc. Environmental education: consumers may be educated through health concerns: ill health/ suffering triggers change of habits. Formal education on food issues is poorly developed. Non-formal education lacks a clear-cut communication platform: mediators pursue differing non-formal educational activities and consumers are confused by different educational contents. Public participation: participation is irregular and unsystematic; everyday collaboration among target groups should be promoted; NGOs should be popularised; active involvement of residents needs to be achieved; collaboration with foreign countries, dissemination of best practice and adaptation for local needs, development of reciprocal links among all target groups needs to be promoted. Environmentally friendly action: consumers are positively affected by green stands in supermarkets; this testifies to importance of green marketing activities in attracting consumers to environmental and health friendly food and local produce. Initial results provide the opportunity to summaries the proposals voiced by the target groups concerning prospects for environmentally friendly food communication development. These proposals will be integrated into the communication activities planned as part of the FoodWeb project concerning health and environment friendly food. Examples of the proposals include: expansion of extra-curricular education all opportunities (through collaboration among schools, NGOs, museums etc.); use of museum potential in promoting health and environment friendly food (high visitor rates); lobby in of local agricultural production the green procurement, agreements with the local farmers, etc.; use of interactive /visual examples, experiments or tests; development of a local certification system for better recognition of health and 9

10 environment friendly food; offer schools comprehensive, clear-cut data for use in the teaching process; creation of a health and environment friendly food bus, etc. 10 National and municipal collaboration for sustainable food governance At the national level under-studied issue, but lately, project activities at the local level are developing. Absence of sustainable food production and consumption management cycle as a single principle related to sectoral policies (environment, economy, agriculture, energy, waste management, etc.). Dominant/regulatory environmental management tools are intended to reduce the food production environmental impacts, but do they contribute to the development of sustainable food production? Health impacts much more emphasized, public, studied, but are it adequately managed? Sustainable food consumption poorly managed - environmental management practices often are not included or included quite formally in the sector development policy considerations - the target oriented policy is needed for all food production, distribution and consumption-related sectors. Are local municipalities able to influence, promotes stainable food production and consumption? Municipal management tools are diverse enough to potentially influence and promote both sustainable food productions, consumption at local management level. Sustainable food production and consumption should be defined as sustainable development planning and implementation issue in the sustainable development strategy, development programme, land use plan etc. because it includes: Planned development and use of the community and territory, Business promotion, Considerations of social policy and Environmental quality. Sustainable FP&C integration into local Strategic planning (Fi.4) and medium term planning, incl. initial version proposal for indicator system development (Fig.5). Discussion/conclusions and recommendations for local regions 1. Coastal CSR and also interviews of the related national governance sector confirms basic concept that sustainable food management (SFM) process in Latvia is stepwise developing, but only when providing necessary complementary planning and implementing of the collaborative governance principle. 2. Particularly collaboration shall be provided in the entire food cycle management and all four vertical levels of governance. On the national governance level, the state sectoral policies (agriculture, environment, economics etc) collaboration shall be enforced, but on the regional governance level, the regional stakeholder management collaboration shall be facilitated. On the local governance level, the local food cycle target group s communicative collaboration shall be established and encouraged, but on the household management level, inhabitants/families shall be motivated to support consumer and local producers collaboration.

11 3. Municipal governance and environmental management existing instruments are diverse enough to potentially influence and promote FP&C at local level. Sustainable FP&C should be clearly defined and integrated into development planning and implementation practice - sustainable development strategy/development program, land use plan etc. for local municipalities. 4. Municipalities in Latvia shall be aware of all that and do agree to integrate FP&C into municipal planning and management especially applying complementary all the governance instrument groups - political and legislative, planning, economic and financial, administrative and institutional, infrastructural, as well as specific communication instruments, thus ensuring communication of internal and external stakeholder groups in the municipality. 5. FP&C communication within the municipality stakeholder groups and with regional/national level ones are encouraged by the participation of proactive mediators - educators and researchers/experts, media and NGOs in their mutual collaboration. In the FP&C governance and communication process (national and regional/local) the collaborative communication model shall be used - approaches and tools in information and education, as well as public participation and adequate behavior to be used in a complementary way, to minimize the public food consumption process impact both on the environment and public health. References 1. Ernšteins, R. (2012). Development of municipal and social resilience understanding: stakeholder complementary training on coastal governance and communication, International environmental conference, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Varna, 2012, pp Ernšteins, R. Coastal Communication and Partnerships for Municipal Sustainable Development. Proceedings, International conference Management And Conservation Of Coastal Natural And Cultural Heritage, Aveiro: Aveiro Univeristy, pp Bērziņš O. Sustainable Food Management Development in Latvia: from National to Local Level, master s theses, master supervisor, Dr.hab.paed. R.Ernšteins, University of Latvia, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Environmental Management, Riga, 2013, 95 p. 4. Brizga, J. Sustainable Consumption Latvian Governance: Governance instruments, networks and Indicators, dissertation, master supervisor Dr.hab.paed. R.Ernšteins, University of Latvia, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Environmental Management, Riga, 2013, 177 p. 5. Paidere I. Sustainable food consumption communication: mediator s participation, master s theses, master supervisor Dr.hab.paed. R.Ernšteins, adviser A.Lontone, University of Latvia, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Environmental Management, Riga, 2013, 130 p. 11

12 Environmentally Friendly and Healthy Food: Fish Resources in Liepaja Coastal Region Juris Frīdmanis, Raimonds Ernšteins, Ēvalds Urtāns, Aigars Štāls Environmental aspects and knowledge of food safety are becoming more important when selecting the diet. Taking into account high anthropogenic load on the Baltic Sea fish could have a potential risk of contamination. A frequent consumption of contaminated fish can lead to intakes of contaminants above maximum recommended intakes. Consumers of food can reduce the negative impact on the state of the Baltic Sea by changing their daily choices and consumption patterns of diet. The aim of this article was the evaluation of fish stocks and potential risks of fish contamination in inland watercourses and coastal waters of the Baltic Sea in Liepaja region. As a result, no risk to the fish resources due to the catch and no risk of dioxin contamination of lean fish (perch, cod) were shown in Liepaja region. Food communication process have been improved during last years, but certain difficulties with information, perceptions and related behavior do exist and shall be more studied and innovative communication process will be designed and performed by involving all complementary communication instruments and all target groups, particularly mediators. Introduction food and environment Nowadays ever increasing attention is being paid to food life cycle, since the raw material acquisition for food and the food production can cause adverse impact on environment, including the Baltic Sea, while the probable contamination of marine environment and its products can cause problems to the people, having adverse effects on their health. The aim of the project FOODWEB Environment, food and health in the Baltic Sea region from habits to awareness is to promote the understanding about interaction of food and environment and risk awareness, which is based on application of such instruments as food life cycle, risk, environmental and sustainability indicators, as well as involving both schools and other educators in the process- museums, libraries, NGOs, mass media, being the main target groups in education and information of consumers (figure 1). The project is simultaneously going on in several Baltic Sea region countries- Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The project is led by MTT (Agrifood Research Finland) and it is being realized in cooperation with University of Latvia- Department of Environmental Management of the Faculty of Economics and Management, Finland s Environmental Institute, (SYKE), University of Tartu and Tartu Science Center, (AHHAAfoundation). 12

13 Figure 4. The main partners in communication and education process for environmentally friendly and healthy food (R.Ernšteins) Considering environmental aspects, the restrictions in food consumption should be attributed to fats, particularly the use of animal fat products, as well as consumption of beef. Even though fish and their downstream products are nowadays evaluated as being one of the highest quality albumen sources in our diet, still they have to be used with moderation (not more than 2-3 times per week) due to potential risk of chemical pollution, while greens should be consumed more (Vorne V. at all, 2011: p.2). This would allow reduce the release of biogenic substances compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus, associated with eating habits, in the environment, particularly into Latvia s inland waters and the Baltic Sea. During the pre-feasibility study of FOODWEB project it was ascertained that : (1) Through the economic development differences between countries become less evident; (2) Formal attitude towards healthy food in all of the member countries are tended to less consumption of fats and meat and increased consumption of vegetables in diet; Fish are recommended to eat twice a week in Finland and Latvia; (3) The issues of environmental and food safety and affiliated legislation have come into peoples focus; (4) As the result of human activities, different toxic substances have leached into the Baltic Sea (DDT, PCB, dioxins, which as a potential threat continue to accumulate in food chains; (5) The content of dioxins and other toxic substances in herrings may exceed the daily acceptable limits, therefore risk groups should be careful; (6) By selecting certain diet, it is important to consider related factors to environment as well, therefore the preference is more often given to local and organic produce; (7) Contribution to pollution of sea water by nutrients resulting from industrial, communal, agricultural and transportation wastewaters has increased, however, this impact is being reduced by putting in place modern treatment facilities, but agricultural impact is still significant; (8) 75% of nitrogen and 52% of 13

14 phosphorus compounds originate from farming and cattle breeding sector, therefore these sectors should operate without causing surplus of nutrients; (9) Climate change processes might have unpredictable impact on the Baltic Sea, more frequent precipitation will contribute to coastal erosion and leaching of nutrients into the water (Vorne V. at all, 2011: p.2). Healthy food has been emphasized in the document prescribed by city council of Liepāja Environmental action program for (VRP-2014), particularly highlighting the importance of storage, processing and supersviosion of raw materials in acquisition of food products. However, the summarized information about fish resources and the safety of fish consumption is still lacking, therefore the aim of this article was to assess the available fish stocks and probable pollution risk in Liepāja region, based on the published fragmentary data basis. As the result of previous cooperation project between University of Latvia and Liepāja City Council, the necessity of environmental communication development has been included into VRP-2014 as the first chapter, based on collaborative communication model (R. Ernšteins), which includes both, environmental information and environmental education tools, along with the tools of environmental participation and environmentally friendly activities, in their complementary collaboration. In the context of governance and communication of environmentally friendly and healthy food it was planned to involve all the main public / environmental governance target groups: public governance institutions, municipality institutions, people/society, NGOSs, experts, science and technology representatives (Figure 5.). 14 Figure 5. Entity of the main target groups in public/environmental governance (R.Ernšteins) Fish resources in Liepāja region: research and statistical review The main fish-farming waters in Liepaja region comprise: The Baltic Sea coastal (depth up to 20 meters) and territorial waters as well as inland waters or fresh waters, the most important of which are 4 lakes (Liepāja, Pape, Durbe, Tosmare), as well as the rivers Bārta and Saka. The condition of fish resources are effected both, by the fluctuations of natural environmental factors (climate change) and human related factors pollution of water bodies by wastewaters and habitat degradation, overgrowth of lakes (eutrophication), hydro-technical obstruction of rivers and deepening of river beds. There is a widespread perception that the condition of fish resources in Latvia has significantly deteriorated, however the scientists do not have in their disposal data that any of fish species would be on the verge of extinction or its distribution area in Latvia has been lately considerably

15 diminishing. The catch statistics have not high level of credibility, since the part of the catch is not registered, moreover, the statistically assessed data on non-registered, illegal poaching intensity and catches are not available. According to scientists, the anglers catch in the last years by more than three times exceeds the industrial catches, consequently the fishing potential of inland waters is not fully utilized (Birzaks,J. 2009: p.78). According to available data, the industrial fishing yield in the Lake of Liepāja during the period of has grown from 16.2 to 19.3 tons per year (LVA, 2004, Korņilovs G.2012.). Our estimation of fish resources are based on available data from published materials- fish stock factor of kg on hectare of mirror square of eutrophic lake (Birzaks,J. 2009: p.67),as well as from the available data about Latvian lakes on internet ( The estimated potential fish stocks and optimum quantities of fish catch per year which cannot be seen as a concern for natural reproduction (see Table 1), is in compliance with the resolution of J. Birzaks on insufficient use of fish resources. Table 2 Estimated fish resources in the lakes of Liepāja region Nr. Lake Mirror area*, in (ha) Estimated fish stocks, in (tons) 1. Liepāja 3715, Pape 1205, Durbe 670, Tosmare 405, *Source: Estimated optimal fish catches in (tons) per year The fish restocking also takes places in the Lake of Liepāja regular fry stocking of pike-perches and pikes (Paidere, I. Bērziņš, O.2012: p.10). The lake of Liepāja is considered as the positive example for coexistence of industrial fishing and angling: fishermen mainly catch tench and carp family fish while anglers are focused on pikes and perches. The intensity of industrial fishing in the Baltic Sea in vicinity of Liepāja on average is high, the target species being perch, cod, flounder and salmon type fish- sea trout and smelt. Two significant changes are observed in the fish fauna along the coast of Liepāja the number of big size fish has increased together with the number of carp family fish. The increase of big size fish can be explained by the improvement of flounder and cod stocks whereas the reason for increase in number of carp family is the increase of silver bream populations which is facilitated by high pressure of anglers on predatory fish populations, such as pike and perch (Marine Strategy: chapter option ). Taking into account the selective data on cod catch in the Liepāja region in 2011, the assessment is provided for cod catch in coastal waters. From the prescribed limit for cod catch in amount of tons, tons were actually caught or only 50.2% of allowed limit. Total catch in the coastal waters of the city of Liepāja is reflected in table 2 (Food safety, animal health and scientific environmental institute BIOR, 2012). 15

16 Table 3 Fish catch in coastal waters of City of Liepāja during Year Catch, kg It can be concluded from the above mentioned that fish resources are not endangered in coastal fishing. The Baltic Sea pollution is serious environmental problem; oil products as well as persistent organic pollutants (pesticides, detergents, antipirens, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls) are detected in its waters, as well as heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, nickel etc.), that are capable of accumulation in marine organisms, particularly in fat herring-type fish- salmons, pilchards and sprats (Vorne V. at all. 2011: p.11-14). Extensive research and monitoring on fish contamination within Liepāja region have not been organized to gain full understanding about harmlessness of this food raw material (product) in our diet. The heightened contents of dioxins and similar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) encountered in the Baltic Sea has occasionally been analyzed and determined only for fish with high fat content, for example, salmon, pilchard and sprat. From the samples of Latvian sea catch it has been stated that there is close connection between pilchard in the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea sprat in terms of fish age and level of dioxin, which for the different sample groups was in the range of 0.73 to 0.99 pikograms upon the gram of fresh weight (pg/g, average value of 0.88 pg/g). The allowed toxicity of dioxins and PCB is expressed in toxicity equivalents of World Health Organization (WHO TEQ). The main pollution threat for Liepāja region is leakage form Butinge oil terminal as well as port of Liepāja and municipal wastewaters. Table 4 The content of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (similar to dioxins) in perch found in inland water bodies of Latvia (2008) Nr. Sample taking place Dioxin content, WHO TEQ (pg/g fresh weight) PCB content WHO TEQ (pg/g fresh weight) 1. Lake Ķīšezers 0,41 0,32 0,73 2. Lake Liepāja 0,10 0,42 0,52 3. Lake Burtnieku 0,07 0,12 0,19 4. River Lielupe near Jelgava 5. River Daugava near Aiviekste 0,11 0,19 0,30 0,09 0,17 0,26 Total content of WHO TEQ (pg/g fresh weight) The content of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (similar to dioxins) in fish of fresh waters was mainly taken from samples of certain species of fish in the water bodies in the vicinity of some largest cities in Latvia, including the perch in the Lake of Liepāja. The 16

17 results of analysis (table 3) prove that lean fish i.e., perch form water bodies in Latvia can be safely used in meals (Korņilovs G. 2009: p.-2-4 ). References 1. Birzaks J. (2009). Latvijas iekšējo ūdeņu zivju resursi un to izmantošana. Rīga:Latvijas Zivju resursu aģentūra, lpp. 2. Jūras stratēģijas pamatdirektīvas Latvijas jūras ūdeņu sākumnovērtējums:sadaļas versija Pieejams: 3. Korņilovs G. (2012). Par zvejas informāciju:vēstule 17-2/115, Pārtikas drošības, dzīvnieku veselības un vides zinātniskais institūts BIOR, Rīga, 2 lpp.,(nepublicētie materiāli) 4. Korņilovs G. Dioksīnu un dioksīniem līdzīgo PCB līmenis asaros (Perca fluviatilis) no Latvijas iekšējām ūdenstilpēm. Pieejams: 5. Latvijas Vides aģentūra. Resursu patēriņa novērtējums. Pieejams:, [pēdējo reizi sk ]. 6. Liepājas dome. Vides rīcības programma gadam. Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi sk ]. 7. Paidere I., Bērziņš O.(2012). Videi draudzīga rīcība:videi un veselībai draudzīgs pārtikas patēriņš: maģistra programmas lauka studiju protokols, Latvijas Universitāte, Rīga, 25 lpp.,(nepublicētie materiāli) 8. Vorne V. at all. (2011). Executive summary: no The Baltic environment, food and health; from habits to awareness. Helsinki:MTT Agrifood research Finland, 14 lpp Environment and Health in the Coastal Municipalities: Food and Environmentally Friendly Behavior Valdis Antons, Raimonds Ernšteins, Diāna Šulga, Sintija Kuršinska, Juris Frīdmanis, Elīna Līce, Ilga Zīlniece The article gives an overview on the research currently ongoing as part of the project Baltic environment, food and health: from habits to awareness (FoodWeb) and its preliminary results. Four coastal regions have been selected for project implementation in Latvia, in which situation analysis has been carried out through stakeholder interviews, schoolchildren and adult opinion polls, interviews of young families, field studies and workshops in the selected municipalities. Research shows that the levels of knowledge about pollution risks in food and the relation between one s lifestyle and its impact on health and the environment should be improved. Consumers need assistance in educating themselves on environmental risks related to food choices and on ways to decrease environmental impacts by involving schools and other educators and mediators such as NGOs, museums, the media, libraries etc. as the key interest groups in consumer information and education and by utilizing key environmental communication instruments such as information, education, public participation and environmentally friendly behavior. 17

18 Introduction The Baltic Sea is considered to be one of the most polluted seas in the world. This is basically due to the slow water exchange in its basin, but agricultural production, including food life cycle is in great extent to be held responsible for eutrophication and waterway pollution. The project FoodWeb Environment, food and healthy in the Baltic Sea region from habits to awareness is directed towards the 3 rd priority of the Central Baltic Sea program Attractive and dynamic society and it is viewed from two perspectives: the impact of Finnish, Estonian and Latvian food production on sustainable health of the Baltic Sea environment and food production safety in the Baltic Sea, being the common source of food acquisition. The project is simultaneously going on in several Baltic Sea region countries- Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The project is led by MTT (Agrifood Research Finland) and it is being realized in cooperation with University of Latvia- Department of Environmental Management of the Faculty of Economics and Management, Finland s Environmental Institute, (SYKE), University of Tartu and Tartu Science Center, (AHHAA-foundation). The aim of the project FoodWeb Environment, food and health in the Baltic Sea region from habits to awareness is to promote the understanding about interaction of food and environment and risk awareness, which is based on application of such instruments as food life cycle, risk, environmental and sustainability indicators. The improvement of consumer awareness and promotion of responsible consumptions patterns as well as increasing the responsibility of regional environment within the framework of food supply and demand will contribute to the improvement of condition and maintenance of natural environment. Consumers must have an assistance in education about all of the risks how to reduce their impact on environment, involving both, schools and other educators in the process- museums, libraries, NGOs, mass media, being the main target groups in education and information of consumers. Equally important is the participation of other stakeholder groups, including entrepreneurs, government and municipal organizations. It is envisaged to realize the number of measures and to elaborate the strategies within the framework FoodWeb project. Part of them has already been completed, another in the process of completion. The research on public awareness about healthy and environmentally friendly food has been carried out in Finland, Estonia and Latvia, in coastal municipalities selected for this purpose. The original data bases and models of the health impact of residents resulting from pollution of natural environment (incl. the Baltic Sea pollution) have been elaborated. The multiple communication process for environmentally friendly and healthy food has been initiated events of public information, education and promotion of participation, stakeholders group meetings have been organized. Among the anticipated achievements are the following - regular/temporal expositions in museums, libraries, educational stands in offices and public space, as well as number of educational materials games, computer models and teaching aids. The project envisages developing the Baltic Plate model with certain number of recommended diet values, environmental impact and risks in food. 18

19 Methodology To meet the set goals, the research areas in Latvia have been defined as well as the package of instruments were selected- seminars and field studies in municipalities, target group interviews, interrogation of pupils and their parents and young family interviews. Research regions. The main regions in the project were selected to be: in the gulf of Vidzeme district of Salacgrīva, in the gulf of Kurzeme parish of Kolka, on the seacoast of Kurzeme the city of Ventspils and Liepāja. Besides these selected pilot regional centers, they are supplemented by representatives of the most significant target group in other districts of these pilot regions. Seminars in municipalities. The main tasks of the seminars to get acquainted with project tasks and possibilities; to get acquainted with the main stakeholder groups in municipality; to clarify the expert and stakeholder group opinions about the environmentally friendly and healthy food challenges in municipality and development possibilities and communication practice; to start preparatory works for inquiries in municipalities (interviews and interrogation); to obtain development incentives for communication of environmentally friendly and healthy food in Latvia and partnership countries. The field study seminars or profound situation analysis on site has been carried out in districts of Salacgrīva and Saulkrasti district, the cities of Ventspils and Liepāja. Target group interviews. Interviewees comprise representatives from different parties involved in environmental governance: municipal representatives from different target groups municipality executives, school representatives, mass media representatives, local entrepreneurs- producers- fishermen and farmers, processors and merchants. Public institutions are represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental protection and regional development, Medicare inspection, Food and Veterinary service (FVS). Interrogation of pupils and parents. Bulky questionnaire was elaborated together with project partner for this purpose. The interrogation was carried out within two target groups in coastal municipalities: 1) 6 th 9 th grade pupils of elementary school; 2) pupils parents. On the whole 16 schools, 1185 pupils and 1312 parents took part in interrogation. Young family interviews. Target group interviews including young families, with children of pre-school and primary school age. Qualitative and partially structured interviews were used as research instrument, but for the data analyses the method of content analysis. Research results Huge information material has been obtained from research carried out within different target groups which needs careful processing and analysis. This review provides concrete examples that reflect already certain trends and the interviews of target group representatives in the pilot territory of Ventspils is a concrete example. Seminars in municipalities. The residents of Ventspils have the similar attitude to the residents of other territories in Latvia with respect to food, its life cycle and safety. Interviewees acknowledge that food is only one of the influencing factors of the health and that people become concerned about healthy diet after the age of 50 or if they have health problems. When choosing the food, the attention is paid to freshness, quality, and presence of e-substances, preservatives, quite often to the amount of calories and, of course, to the price. At the same time, residents of Ventspils admit that to avoid from preservatives nowadays is practically impossible and that mass media quite often exaggerate this issue. 19

20 More than one of them would be willing to obtain organic food if the price was lower. The residents of Ventspils are local patriots and gladly choose the food grown in the vicinity of Ventspils while merchants attach the labels to the food grown in local parishes, such as Ventava, Vārve and other place and the market administration tries to provide them with separate stall, away from food resellers. Several of the interviewed residents have admitted that the environmental quality in Ventspils is so good that in private housing areas that are located close to the city center, one can safely grow greens, vegetables, fruits in the gardens fro private consumption. The interviewed target group representatives have admitted that information about food circulation issues can never be too much. Although FVS experts have mentioned different materials published, they haven t unfortunately reached the residents of Ventspils therefore the residents had obtained more information from public television and electronic mass media. The residents of Ventspils traditionally rely more on local media- the newspaper Ventas Balss and have noticed that information on food periodically appears in the thematic pages of newspaper Environment and Health. As the drawback mentioned by many residents is the absence of dietician in the city. Several fish processing enterprises located in the city are processing fish (sprats and Baltic herring), mainly for export. The products of these enterprises are not sold in Ventspils. The entrepreneurs admit that the cooperation with government institutions has lately improved, particularly with Food and Veterinary service, whose officials from being inspectors are becoming consultants, advisors and partners of cooperation. Only few registered well-known fishermen s enterprises sell their production in local market. Coastal fishermen admit that the coast of the Baltic Sea is not clean, sometimes fishing nets are contaminated by oil products coming from shipping accidents while they consider their catch as safe and uncontaminated. The coastal fishermen consider that quite often the nature protection measures and restrictions are exaggerated and that they do not foster the development of coastal fishing in any way. The significant role in research and promotion of coastal people s lifestyle and traditions is attributed to the municipal organization Museum of Ventspils. One of the original exponents is the house of Smiltnieki where digital exposition about habits of Courlanders are also displayed, including the habits and traditions of food acquisition and preparation at the end of 19 th and the beginning of 20 th centuries and whose hostess/owner is still willing to share her considerable life experience. When pedagogical programs in museum are organized, the knowledge of older generation is passed on to the younger generation. Several interviewees acknowledged that young people lately are getting more interested about safe food and the knowledge gained at school is brought home to family. The most active are the schools that have chosen to acquire the eco-school status. Taking into account that eco-schools choose one of the internationally defined themes, both of the Ventspils schools that are on their way to acquire the eco-school status could choose the theme Healthy lifestyle for 2012/2013 school year, where they could include different activities related to food consumption and food life cycle. It would not only increase the pupils understanding about these issues, but also promote initiatives of healthy food consumption in schools catering places and by organizing adequate events, the ideas would also be promoted in adjacent areas. Conclusions. Residents of Ventspils are not different from residents of other territories of Latvia with respect to their attitude to the food, its life cycle and safety. They are local patriots in their choice. As it is acknowledged by local fishermen, lately the 20

21 cooperation with government institutions has improved, particularly with FVS. The young people s interest about safe and healthy food can be seen as a positive tendency. Pupils interrogation. The objective of this interrogation to highlight the issues of consumption on the whole in society, particularly among pupils and parents; to obtain information for elaboration of more effective supplementary aids to form people s awareness about relationship among food, environment and health. The total amount of completed questionnaires by pupils - 623, from which 49% were boys and 51% girls. The average age was 14, the 6 th grade (22%), the 7 th grade (23%), the 8 th grade (27%), the 9 th grade (26%). Nationality 99% Latvian, 1% other. Eating habits. Pupils most often prefer pork from meat (18% time per week, 22% - 1-3times per week), followed by chicken and beef. The children have indicated chicken and fruits as their favorite food and juice as their favorite drink. The majority of pupils (39%) consume sea food 1-2 times per month (incl. fish fingers). The salmon is most often mentioned but, most probably this answer is indicated because this fish is known best of all. Considerable part of pupils 1/6 do not eat fish bat all. Food healthiness issues. Pupils consider that they are quite well informed about healthy eating and food- 40% quite well, 18% very well informed. The most important sources of information are friends, family and internet. The pupils are most supported in the sphere of healthy lifestyle by relatives, school and sport clubs. Great part of pupils has indicated that information related to the food is contradictory therefore it is difficult to understand what to believe. Many have indicated that they consider it important to protect animals and environment. Most often pupils have heard the statements that It is healthy to eat fish at least twice a week, as well as Fish is good source of Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D, Meat ensures valuable albumen, as well as It is healthy to eat food product that do not contain preservatives. These are the themes most often reviewed by mass media. Most seldom pupils have heard the statement that The food that we buy effects the Baltic Sea environment - it means that this question should outlined in greater detail. Food related environmental risks. Pupils (62%) seem to know something about environmental risks related to food. The most important sources of information about environmental risks related to food TV, internet and family, as well as experts. 41% of Latvian pupils wish to learn something more about environmental risks related to food, 27% do not wish and 31% had no idea what to answer. The most effective sources by the help of which one can learn about these issues, the following have been indicated: clear-cut information (3.8 points on average in a 4 point scale), more environmentally friendly government (3.7) and producers (3.6). The least effective means- books about these questions (3.0) and more of educational and youth organizations dealing with thee issues (3.3). The food and the health of the Baltic Sea. Most positively pupils have assessed the situation with respect to the cleanliness of the Baltic Sea coastal territory (2.8 points on average in 4 point scale), but most adversely the Baltic Sea pollution level (2.4). They consider that condition of the Baltic Sea water and fish resources is quite good (2.7 points on average). Considerable part of pupils could not answer these questions (about fish and coast nearly one sixth, about water and pollution level approximately one ninth of respondents. As the most important sources of information about the Baltic Sea environmental issues, family, internet and TV have been indicated. The school is more seldom mentioned. Conclusions. Considering the great percentage of Hard to tell in number of answers, particularly with reference to issues about the risk to the Baltic Sea and its 21

22 environment in the context of food consumption, as well as the positive answers by majority of pupils with respect to learn something more about these issues, possibilities to educate pupils more on these issues should be considered and the increase the role of educational establishments in this process. Parents interrogation. Although the objective of this interrogation did not differ from pupils interrogation, besides the eating habits and understanding of risks related to the food, additional emphasis was placed on understanding the Baltic Sea region risks in the context of pollution. The total number of respondents having completed the questionnaire 577, of which 12% were males and 88% females. The average age was 42, nationality 95% Latvians and 5% other. Education level mainly higher academic (42%) or professional (26%), followed by secondary (20%) and others. Principal occupation mainly full time job (68%). The average total household income below LVL 200 per month - 11%, LVL per month - 52%, LVL per month - 15%, above LVL 900 per month - 5%, no answer - 17%. Eating habits. For the greatest part of respondents (45%), the diet has changed in the course of last years, but of those whom it has changed for, 33% believe they have stared eating healthier. The majority (37%) either does not restrict their eating habits or are following some other (22%), not doctor s, diet recommendations. More than half of the respondents are engaged in horticulture, crop farming or cattle breeding- mainly because they own the land, want to provide better food for family, are willing to eat healthier and it is cheaper. Majority of them (49%) use sea food quite seldom 1-2 times per month, nevertheless quite many of them (41%) still use them 1-3 times per week. The herrings and sprats are the most popular among those fish species mentioned, many of them eat salmon, flounder, cod and canned tuna fish. The Baltic Sea fish is most often preferred (46%), though quite often the fish caught in local lakes, rivers or ponds are also preferred (26%). Only 2 of respondents do not eat fish at all. As refers to meat consumption, most often chicken is consumed 62% of respondents eat it 1-3 times per week. Pork is also used 1-3 times per week by 53% of respondents, but 20% of respondents use it even 4-6 times per week Food healthiness issues. The majority is interested in health risks related to food- 65% of respondents have answered positively. 46% consider that information related to food production is so contradictory that they do not know whom to believe. The main information sources about healthy diet: friends/acquaintances, newspapers/magazines and internet. The educational establishments were only indicated by 2% of respondents. 54% have indicated that they like to catch fish themselves or to buy them from local fishermen. Food related environmental risks. People basically have heard something about environmental risks related to food production/ storage/consumption, but quite many have heard little or nothing (34%). The greater part (67%) of respondents would like learn about them more. Most often information about environmental risks is acquired from TV (20%), newspapers/ magazines (18%) and internet (16%). The most reliable sources seem to be experts and TV. People haven t acquired such type of information from educational establishments/organizations. The majority (55%) would like to learn something more about impacts of eating habits and food production on environment and related risks, while 27% wouldn t and 15% were not sure if they would like to or not. The food and the health of the Baltic Sea. The least people know about the situation with fish and the levels of pollution the number of unanswered reaches almost 20%. People consider the most important sources of information to be TV, 22

23 newspapers/magazines and internet. People have not received such type of information either from lectures or educational organizations. Conclusions. As the majority of people would like to learn more about environmental risks related to food production/storage/consumption, and as they have indicated, the information about food healthiness is so contradictory that they do not know whom to believe, the information content for public has to be revised and more effective knowledge dissemination forms have to be considered. Young family interviews. The objective of this research was to clarify food consumption habits in young families- the menus, shopping, food acquisition habits, the assumptions in purchase of food, children s diet and understanding about healthy diet. The common meals are one of the characteristic indicators of household and family definition (Vorne, etc., 2012:120). The rhythm of modern life and the increase of different fast food places have decreased the number of common meals in a family. This process decreased the stability of the family and affects the habits of choosing healthy food. The parents in the families with small children think more of a healthy food (Hunt etc., 2011:400; Eglīte, 2011:145). When children are growing up the responsibility is shifted towards kindergartens and schools. Different programs are offered to the school children, for example Fruits for school, Milk program, the goal of which is to compensate the habits of unhealthy food choice. Several aspects are associated with development and changes of family meals and culture of consumption: (1) the way the food is acquired and consumed in a family, (2) the menu, product consumption, (3) eating habits, (4) advertisements and temptation of unhealthy food consumption upon children. The main research issues were determined by these aspects- what is the life rhythm of the family like- spending of time and distribution into working days sand holidays; the type of food family consumes, asking to specify, what is daily most used, where the shopping is done and assumption taken into account when purchasing food products. The average age of families involved in research was from 18 to 39, from different demographic types of households with children: three generation, incomplete and large families. The place of shopping and its frequency. The interviewed families indicated supermarkets as the main places of shopping. The city residents also mentioned local market which they mainly visit on Saturdays to buy food in larger amounts. The pace of shopping and its frequency is determined by individual habits and daily life rhythm, living place (country side or city) and the availability of products in the shops. The great impact felt by work migration- everyday commuting from one place to another. Assumption in acquisition of food products. According to interrogation of residents carried out by Latvian market and public opinion research center it was ascertained the choice of residents are mostly affected by the food price, quality and sales offers (Dnb Nord Barometrs, 2010:1-25). Whereas the assumptions most frequently mentioned by interviewed families were sales, habits, examined goods, healthiness and the fact the product is local. The self sufficiency with food. The majority of families involved in the research grow food themselves or vegetables are available to their relatives. The reasons for vegetable growing are different and are associated with economic assumption, hobbies, the healthiness and comfort of the products, that the fresh products are available at any time. Home meals and dining out. All of the participants of the research mentioned that they cooked at home. The food prepared at home is taken to the work. Traditional meals are 23

24 cooked more potatoes are mentioned as an important ingredient to the meals, meat dishes, soups. Different sorts of cornflakes are eaten during the breakfast, etc. Most often meals are cooked by women, however, 8 families indicated that this is done exactly by men. Families with 3 generations the food is mainly cooked by grandmothers. For some families, the holiday meals are the central event. The children diet: principles and the most demanded foods. The main principles in the choice of children s diet by the interviewed families were the following: (1) every day one must have a chance to have the main course; (2) the diet must be balanced, (3) less sweet and other unhealthy products or sweets only after the main course, also substituting them by fruits. Children, however, most often choose all of the unhealthy food. What are the concerns about the food? In this research also the interviewed families in each of the answers mentioned E substances, genetically modified organisms, food contamination and increasing cost of the food. Conclusions. The common meals are still important, nevertheless it is often indicated that such meals are missing because of work and habits of the family. The traditional dishes are predominating on the menus. The place of living and product availability in close to home shops, the rhythm and daily migration significantly affects the frequency of shopping and the choice of place to do the shopping. With the reference to food, people are concerned about: E substances, GMO, high cost of food. Final conclusions In order to meet the goal of FoodWeb project to facilitate the understanding about the connection between food and environment and the awareness of risks, it is necessary to develop the collaboration of international and the Baltic Sea region experts in elaboration of new contracts and legislative acts, including trans-boundary pollution sphere. It is important to enforce stricter requirements for reduction measures of spills resulting from hazardous chemical substances society with dutiful choice of everyday food and consumption (diversity and moderation) can reduce the substances containing nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as draining of hazardous chemical substances into environment and their adverse effect n the Baltic Sea. By changing eating habits and following official recommendations, it is possible to reduce the agricultural nutrition load on the Baltic Sea ecosystem. It can be achieved by: 1. Increasing the awareness of stakeholders about the risk of contamination in food, regularly publishing and distributing information about conditions of safe consumption, so that they would be capable of perceiving the relationship between their lifestyle and its impact on health and environment. 2. Improving the communication among public institution, producers, science and the representatives of NGOs about the collaboration in management of hazardous substances during their life cycle (production, management of waste and sewage waters, in environment and people s daily lives). 3. Changing of individual s daily choice and consumption models, where the most efficient measure is the reduction of meat consumption. Increasing the share of vegetables/ fruits in daily consumption by ~7%, while reducing the meat consumption, we can effect and reduce the eutrophication of waters, including the Baltic Sea (Vorne, etc., 2012: ). 24

25 References 1. Eglīte, A. (2011) Patērētāju uzvedības izmaiņas mūsdienu apstākļos. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference Economic Science for Rural Development, Nr. 23, Jelgava. 2. Hunt, G. Fazio, A. MacKenzie, K. Moloney, M. (2011). Food in the family. Bringing young people back in. Appetite, Nr. 56, lpp. 3. Pārtikas produktu patēriņš. Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi skatīts ]. 4. Vorne, V. Patrikainen, Lila. (Eds.) The Baltic environment, food and health: from habits to awareness. Feasibility study. Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi skatīts ] 1.3. Sustainable food governance development perspective on the local municipality level Raimonds Ernšteins, Anita Lontone, Jānis Kauliņš, Līga Zvirbule The growing population and increased amounts of resources used for energy production affect both the human ability to maintain and provide resources for the future generations and the natural resources management policy. The study analyzes the food cycle on the local municipality level. Municipal management tools are diverse enough to potentially influence and encourage sustainable food production and consumption on local governance level. Sustainable food production and consumption is focusable as municipality sustainable development planning and implementation issue in the sustainable development strategy and development programme etc. as it includes: planned community and spatial development and use, business promotion, social policy and environmental quality considerations. The study was conducted from 2012 to 2013 at the Environmental Management Department, Faculty of Economics and Management in the field studies (MSP framework) in urban and rural environment, under the framework of the Central Baltic Interreg IVA Programme project FoodWeb "Baltic environment, food and health: from habits to awareness" in Salacgrīva district and the Liepāja City. Introduction With the increase of the world s population the demand for food will increase, which significantly affects natural resources - air, water, soil quality, climate, biodiversity, therefore, in order to meet the growing demand (FoodDrinkEurope) it is important to think how to make the food life cycle stages more environmentally friendly already now, thus ensuring sustainability. The most significant environmental impacts of the food appears in the early stage of food production, when the balance of the resources is not taken into consideration (Brizga, 2012) and households affected by the already existing impact contribute to it by their food choices and food service demand based on their needs. Households also directly affect the environment through food-based energy consumption and waste generation (Towards Sustainable..., 2002). Changes in the environment cannot be seen immediately but will be visible several years later due to reduced human's natural 25

26 ability to resist external environmental factors - weakened immunity (European Union, 2013). Sustainable food governance includes the whole governance cycle (problem analysis, policy, planning, and management) life cycle. For the first time food security and food production and consumption impact on the environment is discussed in the Brundtlad Report (WCED, 1987). To understand the importance of this issue in the context of environmental management it is important to look at the full life cycle of the food - food production, processing, distribution, consumption and recycling. In the context of Latvia, sustainable food development approaches are insufficiently studied, and it significantly affects the good governance of the entire food life cycle, but lately various municipal and project activities in this area are increasing. The lack of the sustainable food production and consumption governance cycle as a single principle in the related sectoral policies (environmental protection, economics, agriculture, energy, waste management, etc.) does not provide a systematic sustainable food life cycle. Dominant / regulatory environmental management tools for the reduction of food industry environmental impacts partly contribute to the development of sustainable food production. Food quality impact on health is much more emphasized and explored issue, but is it adequately managed? It should be noted that environmental management practices often do not contain / or is included in formal sector development policy considerations there is a need for target oriented policy in all food production, manufacturing, distribution and consumption related industries. Can local municipality influence, promote sustainable food production and consumption? Management and environmental management tools municipalities have at their disposal are very diverse to influence and promote in principle both sustainable food production and consumption at local environmental governance level. Sustainable food production and consumption is focusable as local municipal sustainable development planning and implementation issue in the sustainable development strategy and development programme etc. as it integratively includes planned community and spatial development and use, business promotion, social policy and environmental quality considerations. Study results and methodology of developed concepts To study the current situation, quantitative and qualitative sociological research methods were used. Quantitative research methods are used for obtaining quantitative data, like measurements and statistics. Qualitative methods rather reflect the understanding of the issues. Using an integrated case study research method (case study research), which involves the document analysis - sustainable food planning document, regulation report and study analysis; interviews in depth and focus group interviews on food and environmental governance in local municipalities, environmental management and food instruments, integration and stakeholder group co-operation and surveys - analyzing sustainable food promotion in coastal municipalities. The management process approach, systems approach, sectoral and integrative planning approaches, disciplinary and integrative development tools approach, collaborative management and communication approach as well as sustainable food development communication approach were used in the study. 26

27 The Study Discussion The study as well as literature analysis and other research results show how many different factors can affect the food life cycle and the impact of each stage on the depletion of natural resources, as a result leading not only to general resources depletion, but also the natural food shortages. At international level, food production and consumption impact on the environment is mentioned in RIO20+ Situation analysis report, "The Baltic environment, food and health: from habits of Awareness" (The Baltic environment..., 2011), where the reduction of environmental degradation, green economics policy, technology development and sustainable and environmentally friendly food production promotion, environmentally friendly food policy guidelines integration into planning documents is mentioned. At the national level, the food related issues are reflected in the national level documents the Sustainable Development Strategy of Latvia until 2030, NDP , NDP , as well as the Law on Consumer Rights Protection, Law On the Supervision of the Handling of Food, Environmental Protection Law, the Law on Local Governments, and they refer to the principle of cleaner production, technology improvement, green consumption, organic farming, sustainable business support tools, ecodesign promotion and its use, resource recycling and integration of environmental conditions into sectoral policies. As well as the CM Regulations related to food quality schemes, their implementation, operation, monitoring and control procedures. At the regional level, the food life cycle and its stages are mentioned in different regional planning documents, as well as food and business related projects, for example, Vidzeme food cluster. On the local governance level the food issue is dealt with quite a bit, but this integrative food sector would require integration into development planning documents, development programmes and sectoral documents, for example, business or tourism sector. At the local governance level food issue needs to be viewed at the household level. Statistics from households consumption determines the standard of living, but it does not determine whether a household is environmentally friendly or not. Attention should also be paid to the promotion of home producers, because the home made product is more traditional - it relates to eating habits in the area with the certain way of living. Food governance process, consisting of four sequential stages: 1P food life cycle governance problem analysis, 2P food life cycle governance policy, 3P food life cycle governance planning (implementing plans, programmes, projects etc.), 4P food life cycle governance management implementation, control/monitoring of tasks and actions, (Figure 1). 27

28 28 Figure 1. Food governance process: 4P cycle model adapted from Deming model (Ernšteins, 2008). Collaborative governance approach: Collaborative management model (Ernšteins, 2008: p.160) is offered as a food governance framework model. The model is based on the concept that food governance must be implemented through integrative collaboration of all major its governance cycle components - model consists of 5 main and complementary components and subordinate components: 1. Governance internal and external stakeholder groups mutual collaborative development; 2. Vertical and horizontal integrative thematic collaborative development; 3. Governance tools collaborative development; 4. Governance assessment (indicator assessment) collaborative development; 5. Collaborative governance communication development. First model component - Governance internal and external stakeholder groups mutual collaborative development (see Fig. 2) - is focused on the development of collaboration between all food life cycle actors or involved stakeholder groups, both vertical collaboration development top-down approach, and horizontal collaboration development between resudents, local municipality and mediators. The other model component - Vertical and horizontal integrative thematic collaborative development the goal is to ensure the governance sector content integration, which can be achieved by developing sectors in detail, providing mutual vertical and horizontal collaboration development. The third model component emphasizes that for the successful development of development planning and environmental governance the complementary tool kit should be used meaning adequate application of all 6 environmental management instruments: political and legislative instruments; planning instruments; economic and financial instruments (budgetary funds, tax policy, support programmes /fundraising, public-private partnerships, promotion of ecosertification, green procurement etc.); administrative and institutional instruments (structural improvement of national / local authorities / organizations, establishing quality management / environmental management systems, etc.), infrastructure instruments, communication instruments. The fourth model component deals with the development of management assessment system, therefore this is an indicator assessment approach that takes into account both a top-down approach and the bottom-up approach and consistency (interaction development between the two assessment

29 approaches) thus the environmental management development would be facilitated and valued from both sides of social governance. The final fifth model component is focused on actions to ensure collaboration communication, which is an essential driving force to the collaborative governance in general and the communication toolkit - it includes access to information for the involved stakeholder groups, skills and knowledge, and understanding to use, to participate and co-operate thus ensuring the good practice in collaborative governance implementation and communication of the results, particularly, providing availability of: collaborative governance information; collaborative governance education, collaborative governance participation practices, development of collaborative governance best practices. Figure 2. Collaborative governance model (R.Ernšteins) To facilitate the awareness raising on interdependencies of food sector and other governance sectors, it is necessary to use at local governance level the management tools based on the food life cycle, as well as environmental and sustainability indicators and stakeholder groups involved in the food life cycle process (see Fig. 3). 29

30 Figure 3. Main stakeholder groups in the communication and education process The study attempted to analyze and generalize the municipal environmental management tools, viewing these instruments through the food life cycle. It should be noted that management tool groups are environmental management process and product / result oriented. Mentioned instrument groups are clearly conditional and often one and the same instrument at a particular type of activity is both disciplinary and integrated in other municipal instruments. Efficient implementation of sustainable food governance requires mutually complementary use of all available management instruments: political and legislative instruments, planning instruments, economic and financial instruments, administrative and institutional instruments, infrastructure instruments, communication instruments, and voluntary instrument examples among the most important ones (see Table1). 30

31 Examples of voluntary instruments in Latvian municipalities. Table 1 Local and organic produce marketing through the tourism opportunities Attractive contests and appropriate nominations Informative educational activities and - brochure on organic farms in the municipality of X, distributed through the tourist information center, - product outlets inscription "Made in the municipality of X", "Catch from the local river / lake," etc., - tourist route through organic farms in the district to be used also in school student projects week, - separate trading places at trade fairs for organic farm and local fishermen produce, - signboards placed in hostels, guest houses " Food here is prepared using local produce" or similar, - ancient cooking recipes exhibited in museums, exhibitions (e.g. "Recipes from Grandma's dowry") - municipalities (food) days, etc. - contest for the best catering service provider with nominations "The healthiest food", "Environmentally friendly food" and so on, as well as "Environmentally friendly service provider", "Local food of the X district, ", - establishing a certification system of local municipality, eco-friendly food or local traditional food. - books on healthy food and other similar topics exhibited in local libraries, - appeal of community members on the proposals for website section where people can express their views on food and environmentally friendly food production, - residents polls at local municipal website on topics related to food consumption, quality etc., - organic farmers visiting schools, kindergartens, local fairs, etc. - information booklet about organic and environmentally friendly farms in municipality. Conclusions Sustainable food production and sustainable food consumption is a complex environmental management issue, covering all environmental management levels and stakeholder groups. Sustainable food governance development (reduction of environmental impacts, changes in consumption, etc.) affected by multishaped socio-economic factors can be only achieved in the long term; particularly significant is target group oriented collaboration. Sustainable food production and sustainable food consumption development requires stakeholder groups collaboration based environmental management practices, namely, collaborative management practices. Systemic food life cycle governance is necessary both in the interministerial work and each municipality. Inclusion of sustainable food production and sustainable food 31

32 consumption as a unified environmental management principle into related sectoral development policy requires not only a clear definition of the principle in the development policies, formal acceptance of the principle, but also the operation of the principle in practice requires appropriately developed, mutually agreed action programmes. Collaborative management practice, in turn, requires the development of collaborative communication - all stakeholder groups information, education/training, participation, and collaborative action. Sustainable food production and sustainable food consumption are environmental policy integration, as well as environmental management vertical and horizontal integration issue. This means that management tools selected for the food production, distribution and consumption-related sectors policy implementation must be targeted, coherent, cumulative and complementary in their activities and planned activity impacts, as well as adequately applied in practice. The municipality has sufficiently diversified and structured management instruments for sustainable food production and consumption development. Volunteer management tools are the most important sustainable consumption promoting and awareness raising providers. Also promoted a new cooperation instrument introductionkind food clustering, plants, different areas and groups food cycle. In the course of the project study and seminars, academic and applied recommendations were developed. Sustainable food management is a complex process that depends on the interaction of a variety of interdependent factors. Successful development and improvement of sustainable food management process in Latvia is possible through the complementary planning and implementing collaborative management of the entire food governance cycle and all four vertical governance levels (R.Ernšteins,O.Bērziņš,2013): - at the national level of governance, providing the State (Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture) sectoral policy action policy collaboration for the sustainable food governance; - at the regional level of governance, providing the regional stakeholder groups collaborative governance for sustainable food governance; - at the local governance level, providing local food life cycle and stakeholder group communicative collaboration for sustainable food governance; - at the household governance level, generating public interest in consumer and local home producers sustainable food collaborative governance. Sustainable food consumption communication (R.Ernšteins, I.Paidere 2013) can be used as an effective tool for promoting sustainable consumption in Latvian municipalities: - Latvian local municipalities should be aware of sustainable food consumption importance as part of the community and the territory development and integrate sustainable food consumption issues in the municipal development planning and administration, complementary using management instrument groups - political and legislative, planning, economic and financial, administrative and institutional, infrastructures, and in particular - communication tools, thus ensuring both the proper application of other instruments in the communication society and all the local municipality s internal and external stakeholder group communication; - it is necessary to provide sustainable food consumption communication with local municipality s stakeholder groups as well as with national level institutions and scientists/experts will be encouraged for the pro-active 32

33 participation of the mediators, at the same time contributing to both the trainers and the media and NGO mutual collaboration; - in the process of sustainable food consumption communication with local households, the known environmental communication model instruments should be complementary used, both information and education, and public participation and sustainable food consumption friendly/adequate action, minimizing the public food consumption process impacts both on the environment and the public health. References 1. Antons, V., Šulga, D., Ernšteins, R., Kuršinska, S., Frīdmanis, J., Līce, E., Zīlniece, I. (2013). Vide un veselība piekrastes pašvaldībās: pārtika un videi draudzīga rīcība. No: rakstu krājuma "Sabiedrība un kultūra: Mainīgais un nemainīgais cikliskumā", Liepāja.Liepājas Universitāte, lpp. 2. Bērziņš, O. (2013). Ilgtspējīgas pārtikas pārvaldības attīstība Latvijā: no nacionālā līdz vietējam līmenim: maģistra darbs. Latvijas Universitāte. Rīga, 130 lpp. 3. Brizga, J. (2012). Ilgtspējīga patēriņa pārvaldība Latvijā: pārvaldības instrumenti, sadarbības tīkli un indikatori: promocijas darbs. Latvijas Universitāte, Rīga. 177 lpp. 4. European Union. Dolceta: online consumer education. EU, Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi sk ] 5. Frīdmanis, J., Ernšteins, R., Urtāns, Ē., Štāls, A. (2013.). Videi un veselībai draudzīga pārtika: zivju resursi un komunikācijas process Liepājas piekrastes reģionā. Rakstu krājums "Sabiedrība un kultūra: Mainīgais un nemainīgais cikliskumā", Liepāja. Liepājas Universitāte, lpp. 6. Lontone, A., Ernšteins,R., Paidere, I., Bērziņš, O., Zvirbule, L., Zīlniece, I., Frīdmanis J. (2013) Sustainable food governance framework in Latvia: collaboration and communication, Conference Proceeding Laboratory Diagnostics in Veterinary Medicine, Food and Environmental Safety, Riga, BIOR, pp Paidere, I. (2013). Ilgtspējīga pārtikas patēriņa komunikācijas attīstība: mediatoru līdzdalība: maģistra darbs. Latvijas Universitāte. Rīga, 130 lpp. 8. The Baltic environment, food and health: from habits to awareness: Central Baltic INTERREG IV Programme MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi sk ] 9. Towards Sustainable Household Consumption? Trends and Policies in OECD Countries. OECD, Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi sk ] 10. WCED. Our Common Future / Brundtland Report [tiešsaiste]. United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi sk ] 33

34 1.4. Environmentally Friendly and Healthy Food: Communication Process Juris Frīdmanis, Raimonds Ernšteins, Ēvalds Urtāns, Aigars Štāls Food communication in Liepāja region: research and target group seminar Foodweb project research has been carried out in Liepāja, in the spring of 2012, including the questioning of both pupils and their parents, interviewing new families, main target group interviews and the closing seminar of all the stakeholders in a form of roundtable discussion. The representatives from all of the 8 main target groups were involved in the project (figure 2), with the special interest particularly about the present and probable communication activities within the project by mediator groups (figure 3). Figure 6. Communication model for environmentally friendly and healthy food (R.Ernšteins) The research tasks underline the necessity to get acquainted with the main target groups in Liepāja and most importantly, to familiarize the main target groups within interchangeability of specified topics, as well as to find out the opinions of target group experts /representatives about: o the situation and problems with respect to consumption of environmentally friendly and healthy food; o healthy and environmentally friendly food communication practice and development possibilities; o acquisition of healthy and environmentally friendly food communication and incentives for the development of FOODWEB project in Latvia and its partnership countries. The outcome of the first research provides the possibility to assess the situation in the city of Liepāja: o People are interested in healthy food, diets and healthy life-style; o If I had a garden I would gladly grow vegetables and other products; 34

35 o There are few breaches in food supply, however there are some complaints; o Government institutions inform public about the food safety, about marking of e-substances, agricultural animal diseases and other; o Liepāja city market the place of suspicious origin of foodstuffs, only few vendors hold their certificates in visible places; o Educational institutions are satisfied with catering quality/ offer; o It is difficult to involve local producers in school catering incapable of supplying food quantity as stipulated by CM; o Contradiction parents cook meals as they can (cheaper) hoping that at least schools will provide healthy food; o The choice of healthy and environmentally friendly food is affected by the price. While the high VAT remains to the food products, people will choose the cheapest, less healthy alternative. o The significance of communication and collaboration is highly appreciated by target groups; o Number of ways how the information and knowledge about healthy and environmentally friendly food are disseminated: Direct communication and contacts among people; seminars, exhibitions, excursions; leaflets, posters, publications in newspapers, websites; o Information sources: Kurzemes Vārds, Kursas Laiks, websites, leaflets by PVD; o Educators: secondary schools, museum; Central scientific library, NGOs. The representatives of target groups also point out examples of due diligence, incl.: o Municipality organizes the Month of Health during which several activities take place associated also with healthy and environmentally friendly food; o Eco-school in Ezerkrasts children learn the skill to take care of themselves when choosing the food. Pupils discuss the topic of healthy food among themselves and they are interested in it. o Lecture courses on health protection delivered at schools and institutions; o Optimistu pulks (organization Regiment of optimists ) organizes cycling tour around farmers biological farms; o Society of diabetics promotes healthy snacks for all the target groups not only for sick people but also for healthy people, relatives, children etc.; o Healthy diet markets: Green market (Optimistu pulks); Fish market with making the fish soup; o Food trading companies give up their previous day s goods either to residents of social community houses or to farmers to feed the animals; o Special meal in cafes of the city Liepājas menciņi. Communication product development is required and within the framework of Foodweb project it is planned to establish: Partner collaboration networks; E-games and data bases for environmentally friendly and healthy food; Educational resources portal; Expositions/exhibitions for pupils/target groups; Stands in exhibitions; teaching aids for schools/mediators; Information materials, lectures/reports, campaigns and others. 35

36 Conclusion According to calculations and assessment, the fish catch in the Baltic Sea coastal waters and Liepāja region inland waters does not cause the threat to its fish stocks. Lean inland water and sea fish (perch and cod) are with low contamination of dioxins and polychlorinated bifenils (similar to dioxins) and are practically safe to be used in diet. It would be necessary to obtain data and information about the content of this pollutant in of industrial catches of fat fish (tench and sea trout). The first outcome of the research provides the possibility to summarize communication development possibilities of healthy and environmentally friendly food expressed by target groups, which will be integrated into healthy and environmentally friendly food communication activities within the framework of Foodweb project, that is, including these suggestions as well on how to enhance extracurricular education possibilities (museum, CZB, schools, NGOs in collaboration); the use of museum potential in promotion of healthy and environmentally friendly food (attendance statistics for February residents); lobbying of locally grown agricultural produce green procurement, contracts with local farmers, etc.; interactive/visually binding examples or tests could be well used; development of local certification system for recognition of healthy and environmentally friendly food; to offer comprehensive/clear-cut data for schools to be used in teaching process; Bus of healthy and environmentally friendly food, and others. References 1. Birzaks J. (2009). Latvijas iekšējo ūdeņu zivju resursi un to izmantošana. Rīga:Latvijas Zivju resursu aģentūra, lpp. 2. Jūras stratēģijas pamatdirektīvas Latvijas jūras ūdeņu sākumnovērtējums:sadaļas versija Pieejams: 3. Korņilovs G. (2012). Par zvejas informāciju:vēstule 17-2/115, Pārtikas drošības, dzīvnieku veselības un vides zinātniskais institūts BIOR, Rīga, 2 lpp.,(nepublicētie materiāli) 4. Korņilovs G. Dioksīnu un dioksīniem līdzīgo PCB līmenis asaros (Perca fluviatilis) no Latvijas iekšējām ūdenstilpēm. Pieejams: 5. Latvijas Vides aģentūra. Resursu patēriņa novērtējums. Pieejams:, [pēdējo reizi sk ]. 6. Liepājas dome. Vides rīcības programma gadam. Pieejams: [pēdējo reizi sk ]. 7. Paidere I., Bērziņš O.(2012). Videi draudzīga rīcība:videi un veselībai draudzīgs pārtikas patēriņš: maģistra programmas lauka studiju protokols, Latvijas Universitāte, Rīga, 25 lpp.,(nepublicētie materiāli) 8. Vorne V. at all. (2011). Executive summary: no The Baltic environment, food and health; from habits to awareness. Helsinki:MTT Agrifood research Finland, 14 lpp. 36

37 2. Environmental Governance and Coastal Municipalities: challenges and methodologies 2.1. Municipal development planning and environmental governance in Latvia: methodology for integrated approach and complementary development of instruments Raimonds Ernšteins, Jānis Kauliņš, Ilga Zīlniece The development planning methology innovations and systematization of complementary development and also environmental management instruments in the municipalities of Latvian coastal zone have been analyzed, emphasizing approaches of collaboration governance and integration. The integrated coastal management is a dynamic, multidisciplinary and interactive process promoting the introduction of the principles of sustainable development. Both disciplinary and integrative instruments are to be in place and possibly integrated in order to improve the consequence and coherence in-between the various sectors and management layers of policy. The coastal management is of integrative character, all of the instruments, which are at the disposal of municipality, are necessary for its provision. In order to achieve the goals that have been set, specific attention shall be paid to the instruments of collaboration. There are proposed and fully tested integrated methodology approach as step by step guide for costal municipal develoment planning, being now implemented in Saulkrasti coastal municipality, but also applied and realized in several non-coastal territories too and shall be recommended for dissemination. Introduction Coastal management is integrated, dynamic multi-disciplinary and interactive process that ensures the sustainable governance promotion in coastal zone (ES, 2002). In this context, the term "integrated refers to the integration of objectives as well as many instruments which are necessary to meet these objectives. It means the integration among all of the respective policy areas, sectors and management levels as well as integration between components of mainland and sea, both in time and space. Integrated coastal management is characterized by the following basic principles (ES, 2002): Broad view in holistic perspective; Long-term perspective; Adaptive governance in step-by-step process; Reflection of local peculiarities; Observance of nature processes on the coast; Public and target group participation planning; The support and involvement of all administrative institutions; Combination of governance instruments. Why is it important to address the question about integrated environmental governance and integrated governance in the planning of territorial development, particularly in the context of municipality? Municipalities are responsible for different functions and these functions are carried out or managed by many different departments of 37

38 the organization, often with restricted resources of all kinds. Integrated environmental governance (IEG) offers an instrument to improve the sequence and coordination among different policy trends from the environmental perspective, as well as device for increasing the efficiency of these policy trends within allocated budgets. It can also offer greater transparency in policy development and promote greater public participation and more positive perception (Ernšteins, 2010:247.pp.). UNO acknowledges that (UNO summit, Riode Janeiro, 1992), that environmental problems cannot be solved only by legislative restrictions or latest technologies, it requires problem solving approach tended towards people - upon the individual, its awareness and behavior. To address the individual environmental and sustainable communication is required and particularly communication viewed from activity orientation, that is, from information to education and through participation to environmentally friendly behavior (Ernšteins,1999: p.184) it bridges the gap between human and environment, it is the instrument for creation of environmental awareness and behavior. Both, in the context development planning (elaborating of Sustainable development strategy for municipality (SDS) for long-term planning and medium term Development program (DP), and also environmental governance (EG), in case of planning the turnover circle, that is particularly important and yet untraditional, the municipal audit is structured in the perspective of all the three dimensions of traditional sustainable development (SD), also viewing it as innovative by adding, to our mind, the compulsory fourth dimension, that is, assessment of complete current situation, structuring further planning according to four (SD) dimensions: natural environment; social environment; economic environment; governance and communication environment (see figure 7). 38 Figure 7. Four dimensional sustainable development model, developing governance environment concept (Ernšteins, 2006: p.7, Ernšteins, 2012:1012.) Development of integrated approach and its municipal application practice in Latvia should be reviewed in a wider development context in municipal environmental governance (EG) (Zīlniece, Ernšteins,Benders 2010: p.112.; Lagzdina, Ernšteins, 2009: p.135), but particularly during the process of development of methodology and (EG) by Department of Environmemtal Management (DEM) of University of Latvia. EG research has been successively developing since 1990s, but particularly when elaborating DEM Master s degree study programs Environmental governance field study (FS) research methodology

39 since 1998/1999, based on so called integrative asessment approach (Ernšteins, 2012: p.1009) it consists of Case study research, including compulsory Stakeholders analysis, while completing it as a whole Collaboration research. Next, governance project development of municipal/coastal territory has to be mentioned interaction of multiecosystem and social-economic system and horizontal/vertical integration imparative approach have been improved and practically absorbed. Through the intensified studies and cooperation guidelines for Environmental policy and Environmental governance, including SD governance and Integrated Coastal Governance (ICG), Environmental communication, as well as Household EG, Climate Change adaption (CCA) and others have been elaborated. Since 2004/2005 integrated model approach of SD has been successfully developed into other SD dimensions, paricularly emphasizing mutual integration of environmental governance - all of the municipal services and departments should be involved in EG. In order to meet the integration requirements, governance environment (and communication) as one of the essential SD dimensions has been incorporated into guidelines since 2007/2008, along with the development of concept and principle of collaborative governance, as well as municipal EG/SD/ICG/CCA and other indicator systems have been elaborated. Elements of integrated model approach of SD and FS results have been diversely applied in practical work of municipalities of RL, including the elaboration and approval of disciplinary and integrative municipal planning documents. Likewise, practical examples of SD integration model approach should be mentioned environmental policy plans and action programs (EPP/EAP) of different regions/cities and components of devlopment planing processes/documents, including development programs (DP) and other planning documents which were elaborated by within the framework of DEM, UL and municipal cooperation projects or based upon them, hence approved and implemented in municipal governance : EPP and EAP for the city of Cēsis, 2005 EG and the Declaration of integrated collaboration and the vision for the development of Environmental sector and atcivity guidelines of Līvāni district, 2005 EAP for the city of Liepā, 2009 Environmental communication chapter Green Region Declaration of Salacgrīva, 2010 Saulkrasti integrated coastal management guidelines for indicator systems, 2011 Climate change adaption strategy of Salcgrīva district, 2011 (Intgrated) Regional Development Programs : Beverīna, Cesvaine, Aglona, Saulkrasti districts (based upon integrated approach methodology), DP of Saulkrasti region SD indicator system, The accumulated experience of theoretical elaboration of EG and its practical implementation contributed to the elaboration of collaborative governance model and improved the formation of integrated approch methodology along with new and innovative adjustment to the development problem issues of coastal areas and municipalities (Ernšteins, 2011:p.29; Ernšteins,2012: p.1008). 39

40 Collaborative governance approach Collaborative governance model (Ernšteins, 2008: p.160) is being offered as the model of basic structure of environmental governance turnaround circle or as the potentially prevailing environmental governance principle. The concept of the model is based upon the fact that environmental governance must be realized with the integrative collaboration of all the main components of governance circle- the model consists of 5 main and complementary components and subordinated components: 1. Mutual cooperation development of internal and external governance target groups; 2. Development of vertical and horizontal integrative thematic cooperation; 3. Cooperation development of governance instruments; 4. Cooperation development of governance assessment (indicator assessment); 5. Communication development of collaborative governance. The component of the first model- mutual cooperation development of internal and external governance target groups (see figure 2) is tended towards cooperation development among governance / Council internal target groups (cooperation development both vertical and horizontal in Council and other departments of municipality) and consequently realizing collaboration with external target groups (collaboration both, with regional municipality / Council external target groups and collaboration development beyond external target groups of regional council). Figure 8. Vertical integration governance scheme and the structural model of interaction of the main target groups (Ernšteins, 2008: p.162) The components of the second model - development of vertical and horizontal integrative thematic cooperation the goal is to ensure the content integration of governance sectors (see figure 2), that can be achieved by interaction of sector actors vertical and horizontal cooperation of sector actors. The third model component emphasizes that complementary instrument set should be applied to ensure the successful development of environmental governance and development planning, which means the 40

41 adequate application of all 6 environmental governance instruments: political and legislative instruments; planning instruments; economic and financial instruments (budget resources, tax policy, attraction of finances from support programs/funds, promotion of public-private partnership, eco-certification, green procurement and other); administrative and institutional instruments (structural improvement of national/local authorities/ organizations, establishment of quality management / environmental governance systems and others); infrastructural instruments; communication instruments. The fourth model component is about system s development for governance assessment, that is, indicator assessment approach, which considers both, downward and upward approach as well as their coordination (development of interaction between both of assessment approaches), so that the progress of environmental governance development would be evaluated by both sides of community governance. The model component of the closing fifth part is directed towards actions to ensure collaborative communication which is essential driving force of all the collaborative governance and entity of communication instruments- it includes access to information for the involved target groups about collaboration, the skills and knowledge and understanding for involvement / participation and collaboration and to ensure the fulfillment of collaborative governance of due diligence and result communication, that is, to ensure: information accessibility of collaborative governance; participation practice of collaborative governance; development of due diligence within collaborative governance. Research development and procedure Environmental governannce research was carried out in municipalities during the field studies, both in Salacgrīva and Saulkrasti districts in , also instrument assessment of development planning and environmental governance in Ventspils city municipality in The field study procedure of coastal municipalities was organized conceptually as collaboration research of UL and municipality, specifically carrying out integrated case study, with cumpulsory Stakeholder (tareget group) analysis: document studies, questionning and interviewing of 8 main traget groups (at least interviews within each research) and focus groups observation research (Ernšteins, 2012: p.1006). Development planning research, by elaboration of current situation analysis, were carried out in Saulkratsi district, as well as in Beverīna, Cesvaine and Aglona districts. The circle of environmental and development (planning) governance was viewed in the context of 4P model - inquiry planning management testing and once again inquiry/assessment. Consequently the environmental governance circle consists of: problem analysis/inquiry (P1); policy elaboration (P2); programming of planning and action (P3); management (P4) - subsequent and systematic realization of action program (Ernšteins, 2006:p.4; 2008: p.160). Integrated methodology development of municipal development planning Integrated planning provisions have not yet been established into legislation of Latvia in the form of formalized requirements, therefore the planners approach and form of meeting the requirements are very different. Quite often it bears a declarative form, but in reality the integrated planning elements are not present in the published documents. Even the newly prepared legislative documents (Regulations of Cabinet of Ministers on local municipality territorial development planning project) contain only superficially 41

42 enumerated compulsory basic elements of strategy- vision, long-term development goals and trends. In this publication we offer to review our proposed methodology for integrated realization of municipal development planning and to review this theoretical elaboration within the context of 4 specific municipalities of Latvia, at first, in case for costal municipality (DEM field study research and integrated elaborations for , including the elaboration of proposal and approbating it also for the sustainable development indicator system, as well as elaboration of development planning documents during ), but also generalizing our integration approach model for other municipal territories. 4P planning method designed by UL Department of environmental management, with emphasis on the provision of integrated approach, which was initially directed towards the solution of coastal problems (Ernšteins, 2006: p.4; Ernšteins, Kauliņš, 2011: p.30), has gained wider application in our interpretation. Practical application framework has been elaborated for it, which is approbated and specified in practice in four municipalities of quite distinctive features: districts of Beverīna, Aglona, Saulkrasti and Cesvaine (Kauliņš, 2013: p.439). Saulkrasti local development centre in the vicinity of Riga with claims for regional significance. It is town with small rural territory where horticulture communities, characteristic to Riga outskirts, are located with about thousand seasonal visitors in summer (against 4000 Saulkrasti residents). It is located on coastal territory, with a port and quite intensive flow of visitors. It has concrete and ambitious concepts about development planning, understanding about supervision devices, including indicators. Residents are with politicized viewpoints. Beverīna district lies in the vicinity of larger city of Valmiera and combines three parishes, with well-developed economics and infrastructure, explicitly focusing on the specialization of agricultural production. The governing body has clear and ambitious concepts about regional development. Aglona district with its relatively strong Aglona parish combines three poorly developed territories with typical problems of Latgale region. Specific features: sacral tourism with sharp increase in the middle of August during religious celebration (more than visitors within few days). There is a considerable internal differentiation, with poor understanding about development planning. Cesvaine district embraces small town of Cesvaine with its former rural area; relatively well developed agriculture and tourism and production in a town. The presence of Madona, larger city, is evident but there are rather poor internal traffic and infrastructure. There are significant domestic activities observed with respect to planning while lacking basic knowledge. Several related components (see figure 3) are the basis of practical application of the method; particularly their concrete possible integrated solution, but specifically their mutual correlation also forms and ensures the integrity of development planning (development governance planning components in wider perspective). We will review all of the eight methodologies subsequently and separately. Sector and integrated audit is carried out within section of sustainability dimension together with information provided from public involvement and is the main instrument for problem detection. There are 6 methods applicable in order to identify territorial problems quite certainly and profoundly, four SD dimensions are integrated as well - natural environment, social environment and governance environment and communication (Ernšteins, 2006: p.4). The description analysis is about the assessment of available factual material of territory; usually (and it is also prescribed by the legislative acts) such a material 42

43 summarized in the description on situation about the territory. It includes historical review of the territory, information about natural resources, demographic situation, description of social and technical infrastructure, analysis of entrepreneurship, assessment of activities of governance (including financial statements) and non-governmental sectors. Document studies are closely related to descriptive part; most frequently in this stage previous planning documents are to be assessed. It is quite important to evaluate the legislative framework and other related planning documents, first of all, adjacent and other territories, since it is required by regulating legislative acts related to planning (methodological elaborations by RAPLM (Ministry of Regional Planning and Development) and DP laws and guidelines). SWOT analysis and group interviews take place within group work by the help of invited experts. In practice they were organized according to professional and target group principle, taking into account a priori (studies of written sources, informal interviews) the basic circle of definite problems: deputies of municipal council and leading experts, experts utility services, experts representing education un culture, nongovernmental organizations. Upon necessity, the working group was established for getting acquainted with the information about some specific sphere, for instance, these were tourism experts in Saulkrasti district, while in Aglona district representatives of religious organizations. The research is usually associated with interrogation of residents, with inquiries about opinions on possible territorial development, their needs and desires with respect to different services, environment condition and others. Environmental aspects are extended, in case it is evident that it will be necessary to carry out strategic environmental assessment procedure. Interrogation was carried out by specially designed questionnaire; upon necessity the questionnaires were intended for specific target groups (visitors in Saulkrasti district, while certain amount questionnaires were translated into Russian in Aglona district). More than dozen of questions were included into questionnaire, which were grouped accordingly: general questions about household; services used by household, pointing out social and commercial services by municipality; development planning issues, including the development assessment of territory, environmental issues, spatial planning issues (only in Beverīna district); social information unit. The structure of questionnaire used in Cesvaine district was different since the planning department of district had already started interrogation before the official launch of the activities. In our opinion, this sample is not appropriate since it insufficiently reveals several areas, essential for development planning (for example, environmental issue), while some questions contain significant drawbacks (for example, crediting is mentioned as the possible source of sustenance). The results of interrogation and their interpretation in practically elaborated cases were published in specially prepared document. It is envisaged to carry out comparative analysis of obtained results. Finally, almost all of the target groups, based on their experience have developed their insight about probable development- preliminary knowledge about territory, concrete models, etc. This is risky business, though direct way to formulations of strategy and it s not reasonable to ignore it. Preliminary formulation of the vision, definition and priority selection of integrative problem areas. Preliminary formulation of vision is in practice warm-up activity, carried out by all of the working groups in the format of joint brainstorming. During the further group work in the form of seminars the integrative problem areas and priorities are defined upon which a relatively small number of prior integrated problem 43

44 areas are selected which are consequently converted into priorities they form the backbone of long-term strategy. Knowing development priorities, it becomes possible to define development goalsqualitatively in the beginning, afterwards in quantitative way as well, that is directly reflected into sustainable development progress supervised by indicator system and indirectly performance indicators within course of action. The goals are also defined in a group work, finally selecting the ultimate goal for development: actually it is quantitatively expressed definition of vision. Initially, the obtained vision definitions are screened within the context of strategic quantitative elements and put forward in the process of public discussion. Then, definitions are selected again and edited. In the practical examples reviewed, this work was mainly carried out in afore mentioned working groups, only for the elaboration of vision definition the brainstorming method was used in joint group session. SWOT analysis definition and processing the data of analysis was carried out by consultant, repeatedly discussing the obtained results within working group. Following these results, the integrative problem areas of district were defined; whereas 3-5 priorities of those were selected, upon which the action course of long-term development of district and appropriate goals were defined. In Saulkrasti district it was additionally carried out in special conference which was attended by 60 delegates, including planning experts from Lithuania. Summary and the selection for vision definitions were carried out by consultant; results were discussed in joint seminar. Audit of integrated problem areas is carried out after the selection and 4P instrument is applied for solution of problematic issues. In each of the problem areas existing values, planning intentions, probable instruments and applicable policy principles, main courses of action, indicators or progressive parameters were identified, as well as provision of anticipated governance circle (documentation, responsible bodies, progressive parameters and others). Mutual interaction of problem areas was also examined. In Saulkrasti case, indicator system of comprehensive sustainable development is being elaborated, while in other cases only proposals were prepared contents of such indicator system. Spatial development strategy is one of the basic elements of the strategy when development aspects are viewed form spatial perspective; trends of population density changes, concentration of entrepreneurship and services, population mobility. This strategy also contains guidelines for the elaboration of spatial planning, the latter being one of the main instruments for realization long-term strategy. Course of action stems from the goals which must be realized and they form the peak for medium term planning document development approach. The medium term document contains detailed elaboration of course of action in medium term, tasks and goals of medium term for meeting these goals. While from the medium term approach, very practical and concrete short term planning elements can be established: action plan (program) and investment plan. Elaboration of proposals for action and investment plan. The action plan was initially elaborated within joint working group by the help of brainstorming. Then, proposed actions were distributed among integrative problem areas, eliminating clearly inadequate ones or those unachievable. After that, working groups carried out thematic examination of proposals, once again eliminating inadequate ones, as well as proposing supplement and distributing proposals in order of priorities. The investment plan is elaborated in cooperation with municipality budget planning experts. It is based on action plan, where foreseen expenses for certain activities are assessed, impact on municipal 44

45 budget (if possible), expected financial sources. The latter is assessed according to the guidelines and anticipated priorities of the new European Union budget long-term planning period for The final stage was the action grouping according to priorities. Basically the scenario A is formed (obligatory measures, directly related to budget planning according to precautionary model) and the scenario B (the rest of the measures to be carried out in case of availability of additional funding). Elaboration of supervision system of the planning document, based on progressive parameters or indicator system. The elaboration of supervision documents was not required previously by legislation acts, apparently, it was one of the reasons for failure of many previous development planning documents. Since January 1, 2009, it is required by the clause 7, paragraph 5 of the law on Development Planning System. The elaboration and publication of supervision report are the basis for development strategy and program supervision. The supervision report is elaborated by special commission which consists of governance executives and experts, as well as the members of the public. One of the members of the commission by the resolution of the Council is appointed to be in charge of elaboration of supervision report. The supervision report must at least outline the following: procedure of completion of enumerated events within development program, events already initiated, events which are completed; foreseen and actual budget expenditure for each of the events, sources and amount of funding drawn for each of the events; foreseen and actual expenditure, decoding of the main positions of the expenditure, information about which official and department is responsible for the completion of event; well-grounded explanations about each case of the failure in completion of event; total assessment of event completion plan; the assessment of event completion plan from the point of view of overall strategy; achievement of strategic goals and task completion; problems: within the district and those caused by external factors, success, future intentions; detected drawbacks within the program and development strategy with brief proposals to rectify these drawbacks. The supervision report is to be designed as a supplementary part of annual statement of municipality council which must be elaborated not later than a month after approval of annual statement. The supervision report is approved in the session of district council and is later published in the local media and on the website. The monitoring instrument of development strategy is the indicator system of sustainable development, if it is elaborated for the district. This is highly comprehensive instrument with great opportunities, both for assessment of overall development progress and certain fields and problem areas. Unfortunately, its application is expensive and laborintensive and therefore requires adequately trained experts (Ernšteins, Kauliņš, 2011: p.30; Kauliņš, 2008: p.127). The functioning of indicator system is ensured by preparing the special manual that contains: the list of indicators with explanations about the parameters to be measured, acquisition of data and calculation methodology for all the indicators; requirements for indicators to be used for work and public reports; requirements for sustainability overview. Data acquisition, indicator calculations and elaboration of working report is done by expert from the council, who has completed the respective training and has adequate certificate or /and invited experts, upon the necessity. Elaboration of indicator public report is undertaken by council expert on sustainability indicators together with experts in particular field for each of specific indicator. The sustainability overview is elaborated by the same commission which elaborates the supervision report. Indicator public reviews are submitted together with supervision report in those years when respective indicators had been measured (it may not be every year since it is not sensible to measure slowly changing 45

46 parameters). The sustainability report has to be published once during five years as a separate document, which is approved in the session of district council and is later published. The main conclusions The integrated development planning method was acknowledged as suitable and productive by all of the four municipalities where it was offered and where the agreement was reached about completion of certain jobs. It is worth mentioning the active participation of Beverīna district experts and their contribution in conversion of academic strategy into productive practical work. Apparently, local planning experts have been well informed about possible advantages of planning method. The elaborated planning documents are indeed of integrative character; it is proved both, by the nature of chosen priority problem areas and mutual interconnection, which is clearly visible, for example, in strategic part in Saulkarasti region planning documents. Certain lack of understanding about integrated planning method was observed in Vidzeme planning region. The regional experts have insufficient experience of assessing such type of documents in their terms, while systematic work in the Ministry of Environment and Regional development behind the schedule. The implementation of indicator system is still delayed by the high cost of method itself and requirements for the trained personnel to maintain the system in post-implementation period. Certain precaution by municipalities is also observed partly, due to incredulity, political reasons, being afraid of displaying the performance of municipality management in the light of adverse indicators. Only Saulkrasti municipality decided in favor of elaboration and implementation of certain indicator system, which, most probably was due to the research carried out during the field studies in previous years and the demonstration of the results. Costal governance instruments The attempt has been made within the framework of research to analyze, systematize and generalize the range of environmental governance instruments, both disciplinary and integrated that are in disposal of municipality. It has to be noted that governance instrument groups are orientated towards product/result and environmental governance process. The proposed instruments groups are undoubtedly relative and quite often the same concrete instrument according to its form of application can be both, disciplinary and also integrated into other instruments that are in disposal of municipality. Basically, the experience of Ventspils municipality has been used, supplementing it by the experience of other municipalities. The completed analysis is summarized in the table. In order to carry out the efficient and comprehensive coastal governance, it is necessary to use mutually and complementary all of the available governance instruments: political and legislative instruments; planning instruments; economic and financial instruments; administrative and institutional instruments; infrastructural instruments; communication instruments. 46

47 Disciplinary and integrated EG instruments Table 5 Integrated EG instruments Disciplinary EG instruments Political and legislative instruments o International o International Conventions, international agreements, Conventions, incl.orhus convention, multilateral and bilateral cooperation UNO General Convention on Climate agreements, EU regulations, directives Change and Kyoto Protocol, Baltic and others. Sea Region convention on marine o National environment protection ( Helsinki Latvian Sustainable Development convention), HELCOM Baltic Sea Strategy, National Development Plan, Action Plan, Agenda 21 Law On municipalities, Law on o National Development Planning System, Coastal Latvian Environmental Policy Strategy, Spatial Development Strategy, Law on Law on Pollution, Law on Regional Development, Law on Environmental Protection, law on Planning of Territorial Development, Waste Management, Law on Specially Law on Construction, Law on Protective Protected Environmental Territories, Zones, Law on Environmental Impact Law on Tax of Environmental Assessment Resources o Regional o Local Territories of Kurzeme Planning Region Resolutions by Ventspils City Council, Local mandatory municipal regulations Resolutions by Ventspils City Council, Mandatory regualtions (MR) On mandatory municipal regulations collection, transportation, sorting and Territorial use and building regulations disposal of domestic waste Mandatory procedure regulations of MR"Licencing regualtions of Ventspils Ventspils City Regulation on the use City environmental protection and maintenance of the beach MR Usage instructions of subscriber Mandatory procedure regulation on The network of water main and sewarage Lake Būšnieki and its coastal area system of Ventspils City Regulations on public services and Resoulution by Ventspils City Council amenities of Ventspils City On oganziation of public discussion about category B polluting activities Environment policy declaration (EMAS, City of Jelgava) Green District declaration (Salacgrīva district) Planning instruments o Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) o Development program of Venstpils City (DP) + SEIA o Territorial planning of Ventspils City 1. Strategic EIA and concrete planning document Environmental review (has to be elaborated for all of the municipal plans and is integral part of them) o Environmental policy plan/action 47

48 (TP) + SEIA program (voluntary instrument) o Detailed and local planning, thematic o Nature protection plans of specially planning of specific teritories protected areas o Development strategies of municipal (for example, geological and branches, plans geomorphological natural object o Declaration on environmental Staldzene bluff un arī Dampeļi governance and communication (part outcrop,nature reserve The coast of of DP, district of Līvāni) the Leke Būšnieki ) o Specific instruments of EG, taht are elaborated and integrated into municipal developmkent planning documents, for example 300 m of protected littoral area (150m in populated areas) is integrated into TP. Economic and financial instruments The cash flow of municipality of Ventspils City (5 year plan) o Annual budget o Amendments in the budget within a year only after the resolution by the respective commission o Financial support by municipality for different activities, for example energy efficiency measures for apartment houses o Projects financed by Latvia and EU o Annual awards ceremony of the biggest tax payers o Attraction of entrepreneurs and private investors o Nature resources tax o The budget of environmental protection measures as the part of municipal special budget o Environmental projects finaced by Latvia and EU Administrative and institutional instruments o Commission of emergency situations o Working goup for dealing with certain current issues, by involving experts other institution (except for municipal) o Cooperation projects with schools, enterprises, other municipalities, international organizations (for example, Union of Latvian Municipalities, Union of The Baltic Cities) o Joint commission sessions with Environmental protection commission o Participation of municipal environmental expert in the commission o Resolutions of State Environmental Service Ventspils Regional Environmental Board, including the provision of permits for polluting activities o Environmental protection commission of Ventspils city council o Environmetal supervision department of Ventspils city council o Agreements/projects with environmental consultants and scientists who are contracted for reasearch works o Proposal submission for permits for polluting activities, issued by Regional 48

49 of City development issues o Participation of municipal environmental expert in the risk management of potentially dangerous enterprises (Risk assessemnt commission of the State Institution of Environmental Supervison and the complex commsion work organized by State Environmental Service on annual basis ) o Administratative fines ( Administrative building inspection un Municipal police) o Proposals for environmental requirements, their integration into architectural and planning assignments issued by Architectural and Municipal Construction department Infrastructuaral instruments Envirronmental Board o Envirnmental licence (start-up of entrepreneurship and carrying out of polluting activities) o Cooperation agreements with Latvian State Geological and Metorological Centre on information acquisition about environmental status and related topics o Cooperation projects in environmental sector o Public environmental inspector o The spring inspection checks of illegal waste dumping places Technical infrastructure Technical infrastructure Cycling tracks, green territories of the city, o Waste deposit areas The Baltic Sea coast, incl,the beach and its o Sorted waste reception places amenities, city market and Green markets o Containers for sorted waste for organized there apartment houses Social infrastructure o Centralized water supply and sewage Availability of computers and internet networks in public places, Municipal institutions o Sewage water treatment facilities of Ventspils Library Education o Cycling tracks Board with schools and kindergartens, o Green territories of the city, incl. Children s playgrounds, Cultural Coastal park centre, Museum of Ventspils with o Outdoor training equipment in green Coastal open air museum, sports facilities. territories Social infrastructure o Blue flag movement the Baltic Sea coast/beach Communication instruments Marketing strategy Information and education o Regular thematic page ENVIRONMENT in the newspaper Ventas Balss o The City website o Involvement of mass media Press release, calendar of events in the website, interviews, live broadcast in TV, press conferences, section of Ventas Balss Hello, section on the Environmental information and education o Informative and educational thematic materials booklets, incl: Popular version of Environmental Policy Plan in three languages; The Baltic Sea coastal management in Ventspils; Ventspils coastal area. The Blue flag; High risk objects in Ventspils city; Specially protected natural territories- The Lake Būšnieki; Blue flag in teh 49

50 website Resident inquiries answered by City Council, section on the website Ask the question Annual municipal report for voters o Regular elaboration of communication plans in departments o Regular preparation of publicity plan in departments o Educational courses in Adult Education Center and Lifelong Education departmentof of Ventspils High School o Agreements with mass media the newspaper Ventas balss, Kurzeme TV, Ventspils subsidiary of radio SWH, Russian radio Public participation o Public discussion of municipal planning documents (Development programs and Teritorial planning o Public discussion of detailed planning o Public discussion of building perspectives o Regular thematic and sociologic interrogation of population o Applications by residents, incl., postboxes Environmentally friendly behavior o Hoisting of blue flag in the beach as the event marking city festivities beach; hazardous waste; Waste sorting; Relax and protect! o Visual instruments and stands Blue flag in the beach; Mother Nature at Secondary School Nr.4.; 3 information stands in the beach; Information stand at the NATURA 2000 naterure reserve The coast of LAKE Būšnieki ; informative border signs on the border of specially protected territories. o Collaboration in education Environmenta project weeks in schools; Cooperation with eco-schools; Formal education at school in collaboration with methodological unit of environmental education, Learners creativity house. Environment/public participation o Public discussion: Application for the permits of category A and B polluting activities, for reception of environmental licences, nature protection plans. o Regular thematic and sociologic interrogation of population o Applications by residents, incl. postboxes o Public environmental inspector Environmentally friendly behavior o Energy efficiency measrues in municipality buildings o Environmental initiatives of international and local scale Mobility week, Water day, Earth hour, Pigman o Collection campaign of bulky waste 2 times a year o Cooperation with latvian Green Point in organization of waste sorting campaign o Support in implementation of environmental management systems (ISO) in the largest Free port terminals o Territory upkeeping activities o Forest planting, tree planting activities, installation of bird-cages 50

51 Conclusion There is an extensive range environmental governance instruments at the disposal of Ventspils as coastal municipality and other municipalities as well. Current processes in municipalities of Latvia allow predict wider application of integrated approach, without turning down disciplinary approach, at the same time seeking more of mutual supplement and complementarity. Municipal instruments for implementation of environmental policy are not used in multiple ways, basically it is focusing on administrative instruments and on investments for technical solutions. Integrated municipal environmental governance viewing it from the context of already completed administrative reform, is important instrument for environmental situation exploration of extended municipal territories, assessment and purposeful setting of priorities. National policy in environmental sector and legislative regualtion are considered to be influencing factors from above to the devlopment of municipal environmental governance in Latvia. Environmental communication is not only recognized as an important governance instrument but also as environmental governance sector (see the examples of Liepāja regional Environmental Board and elswhere), that include environmental information, education, participation and environmentally friendly behavior. The application of this instrument is not always sufficient, systematic, with particular emphasis on complementarity potential of the instrument. References 1. Communication (2000), On Integrated Coastal Zone Management: A Strategy For Europe Parliament. From The Commission To The Council And The European Parliament, Brussels 2. Ernšteins R.(1999).Videszinātniskās izglītības attīstība.monogrāfija,apgāds Vide,Rīga,342.lpp. 3. Ernšteins R. (red.) (2006), Piekrastes ilgtspējīgas attīstības rīcības programmas vadlīnijas Carnikavas novadam, Sadarbības pētījums, LU VZPI un Carnikavas novada Dome, 187.lpp. 4. Ernšteins R. (2008), Sustainable coastal development in Latvia: Collaboration Communication and Governance Imperative. No: Piekrastes ilgtspējīga attīstība: sadarbības pārvaldība.rīga:lu Akadēmiskais apgāds, lpp. 5. Ernsteins R. (2010) Sustainable coastal development and management: Collaboration communication and governance. Human resources the main factor of regional development. Journal of Social Sciences, No. 3, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, pp Ernsteins R., Kaulins J., Lice E., Štals A. (2011) Integrated coastal management for local municipalities in Latvia: sustainability governance and indicator system. 2 nd International Conference on Physical Coastal Processes. Management and Enginering, Coastal Processes II, WIT Transaction on Ecology and the Environment, Vol 149, WIT Press, pp Ernšteins R. (2012). Development of municipal and social resilience understanding: stakeholder complementary training on coastal governance and communication, International environmental conference, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Varna, 2012, pp Kauliņš J., (2008), Iespējas Latvijas piekrastes ilgtspējības novērtēšanai ar indikatoru metodi. Rakstu krāj. Piekrastes ilgtspējīga attīstība: sadarbības pārvaldība. LU Akadēmiskais apgāds, R.,2008., lpp. 9. Kauliņš J.,(2013) Ilgtspējīgas attīstības indikatoru sistēmas:pašvaldību integrēta pārvaldība praksē, LU zinātniskā konference, tēžu krājums, LU GZZF, Rīga, lpp. 51

52 iskajakonference/ 10. Kuršinska S., Zīlniece I., Ernšteins R. (2009) Integrēta vides komunikācija pašvaldības ilgtspējīgai pārvaldībai: mērķgrupu attīstība un sadarbība. Rakstu krājums, 8. Starptautiskā zinātniski metodiskā konference Cilvēks un vide, Liepājas Universitāte, Liepāja, lpp. 11. Lagzdiņa E., Ernšteins R. (2009), Vides politikas plānošana pilsētu pašvaldībās: disciplinārās un integratīvās pieejas komplementaritāte. Rakstu krājums, 7. starptautiskā zinātniski praktiskā konference Vide. Tehnoloģija. Resursi, Rēzknes Augstskola, Rēzekne, lpp. 12. Zīlniece, I., Ernšteins, R., Benders, J. (2010) Ilgstpējīgas vides politikas attīstības modelis Latvijas pašvaldībām: priekšnosacījumu kopums.rakstu krājums, 9.Starptautiskā zinātniski metodiskā konference,,cilvēks un vide, Liepājas Universitāte,Liepāja, lpp Sustainable coastal development in Latvia: Integrated communication and indicators application Raimonds Ernšteins, Janis Kaulins, Ivars Kudrenickis 52 Introduction and framework setting Coastal communication and partnerships shall be seen now as new challenge and aim for integrated coastal management (ICM) re-enhancement. Diverce and wide application of innovative approaches in recently growing environmental communication theory and practice as well as development of different inter-instittutional and intermunicipal collaboration partnerships closely linked with public involvement enhancement process, particularly via local/regional Agenda 21 design and implementation (1), are main components of integrated planning and management esp. in case of sensitive and attractive coastal reagions. Appropriate environmental and, more, sustainable development information are key precondition and effective instrument for wide understanding of development processes in coastal territories, assessment of coastal areas sustainability, clear and participatory communication, and, finally all together, for implementation of integrated coastal management practice. Existing wide experience and particular methods for development of European, nationwide and/or local information systems, based on particular set of coastal indicators, has to be still tested in both senses theoretical frame further elaboration and practical background development (2). Sustainable development demonstration projects for local/regional manucipalities esp. for nature/culture protected territories proved to be successful for public and decision makers awareness raising in Latvia, however also still quite controversual in relation to coastal common resource areas state protection from one side and development for interest of local inhabitants. EU ICM is constantly setting framework requirements (3) for national/regional planning also for Eastern Baltic as recent newcomers. For time being the central goal in Latvia (1) was to create opportunities for wider interest groups incorporation in ICM, particularly, environmental and subsequently coastal communication elaboration in general in Latvia e.g. to create and share information and have access to innovative environmental education/training, to facilitate public participation and establish wide partnerships for environmental friendly decision-making process as well as develop

53 environmentally friendly behaviour/management both individually and by organizations/institutions/territories etc. Current report develops practical background for establishment of integrated coastal communication, nesessarily being developed also together with sustainable coastal development indicators and their systems. In order to characterise appropriately sustainable development of coastal territories there is to be further studied application of two principal indicators development approaches, namely top-down and bottom-up ones, as well as their complementarity for creation of integrated indicators system. The analysis of framework conditions for coastal indicators system creation and functioning, problems and challenges has been analysed based on the experience of Latvia coastal municipalities. The background idea for creation of indicators system as a tool for sustainable development penetration is that the indicators come from values and create values. As a consequence of this, change in the system of indicators applied is one of the most powerful intervention tool to change systems behaviour. The four principal fields of application of coastal indicators are problems identification, formulation of development strategy and objectives, monitoring of implementation of particular actions and also characterising communication with target groups. As a basis for applicability analysis of top-down indicators system there is taken the set of coastal sustainable development indicators developed in EU and during within EU Interreg project DEDUCE elaborated for practice calculation and test-run for six EU coastal countries, including Latvia (4). The structure of DEDUCE indicators system is based on measuring of indicators values characterising 7 principal goals (3): controlling as appropriate further development of the undeveloped coast; protecting, enhancing and celebrating natural and cultural diversity; promoting and supporting a dynamic and sustainable coastal economy; ensuring that beaches are clean and that coastal waters are unpolluted; reducing social exclusion and promoting social cohesion in coastal communities; using natural resources wisely; recognising the threat to coastal zones posed by climate change and ensuring appropriate and ecologically responsible coastal protection; The set includes in total 27 indicators and 44 measurements. Besides project based test-run in Latvia there are most principal results to be discussed as an answer on the following challenges for top-down indicators systems are the proposed indicators system covering all principal aspects of sustainable development of coastal territories, how the local features can be incorporated, are the local and regional communities interested in such indicators, can and how could be these indicators used for local development work, how local target groups can be involved in measuring the indicators values. For applicability analysis of bottom-up indicators there are to be taken results of different local development promotion projects, realized in Latvia during last 10 years as well analysis of development plans of local coastal municipalities in Latvia. Based on wide involvement of local target groups, these participatory indicators systems thus represent local values and are applicable for local development work, at the same time the principal challenges of such indicators work is continuity and regular monitoring after the system is created as well as corespondence of local development aims to most broder objectives of sustainable regional and whole coastal area development.. Subsequently, principal solution of ideal coastal indicators system can be found in the complementary integration and integrated communication of both top-down and bottom-up indicator systems. Coastal sustainability perpective and ICM communication and indicator systems eventual developments in this reagion are to be further explored; elaborated and tested accross management levels and cross-sectorially. 53

54 Integrated communication for coastal communication systems development This strategic approach has been gradually elaboratet and step-wise tested in local/regional sustainable development practice in Latvia at the Institute for Environmental Science and Management University of Latvia (UNESCO Chair in Sustaiable Coastal Development (SCD) was established in 2001) since mid 1990-ties in close cooperation ( incl. case studies and collaboration research work etc) with coastal municipalities and other institutions/organizations concerned at all governance levels. There are ongoing contribution projects to design and develop coastal dialogue and partnerships, research, and education/training in coastal environmental management and sustainable development in order to facilitate practice activities of municipal decision makers and specialists, environmnetal and education employees, community activists and local/regional NGO s as well as all others concerned with coastal problemsolving. Municipal university ccoperation processes, including theoretical and field studies work of master/doctoral students and also professors are integrated whenever possible in coastal sustainability development practice. There are to be recognized four main environmental management problems (1, 5) both at national and regional/local levels when enforcement of soft instruments should be necessarily increased. First of all, we shall mention insufficiently coordinated circulation and complicated availability of environmental information, inconsistency with needs of different target groups. Second - low level of general and professional education and understanding about the necessity of environmental protection and environmental problem solutions possibilities. Next is to be recognized insufficient activity of general public and other target groups, as well as a lack of facilitation mechanisms for participation in decision making, Finally, also insufficient preconditions and luck of motivation process for realization of environmental friendly behaviour/life style and community action. But the most important and non traditionally perceived one is the clear absence of integrated and mutually complementary application of all four activities necessary and mentioned above - information and education, participation and environmental behaviour as disciplinary components of so called integrative environmental/coastal communication. Environmental communication and particularly also coastal communication could be defined more extensive as traditionally used to, particularly including also public response and participation - coastal communication is multilateral information exchange and cooperation enhancement process based on and including information and education of all related target groups, participation and environmental friendly behaviour, being required during successful development of identification, assessment, decision making and solution phases of environmental/sustainability management. Consequently the role of all communications components today is increasing and especially communication instruments are exactly those that may become the crucial tool for environmental problem solving. This shall be called action-oriented model the model of incremental environmental communication cycle subsequently demonstrating the linkage between environmental communication components or the cyclic basic steps of communication process and pedagogical/practical results that within the particular cycle ensure applied and concrete practical case oriented environmental awareness development, but within the multi cycle integration - the process of repeating and inter-supplementary self-experience development, what is facilitating general environmental awareness enhancement. Main target groups of environmental communication process shall be recognized in every coastal practice situation and directly involved: framework target groups - public sector/administration (e.g. Ministry of Environment system as well as other ministries and 54

55 institutions) and local self-governments, community/general public and business/corporate sector; mediation target groups - NGO s and mass media; public education organizations and science/technology sector; EU sustainable coastal development indicators application in Latvia After EU approval of the Recommendation 2002/413/CE for enhancement of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) in Europe (3) the ICZM expert group (EG) was established and active work of Indicators and data working group (WG-ID) started. At 2003 there was prepared proposal to employ in EU two sets of indicators: indicator set to measure the progress of implementation of ICZM (progress indicator) and sustainable coastal development (SCD) indicator set of 27 indicators with 44 measures applicable. These should be the necessary tools based on objective data to be used for all interest groups discourse. Unfortunately Latvia was not among those many EU countries employing this opportunity nationwide and participation at Interreg IIIC DEDUCE ( ) project was nessesary and encouraged for testing the suggested SCD indicators. The main task for DEDUCE ass to develop the methodology, to calculate and to validate for coastal sustainability SCD indicators set at different scales: European, national, regional and local (4). Following there are general conclusions on SCD indicators calculations done in Latvia and prepared according to the seven main EU targets for ICM. Monitor the further development of economically unreclamed coastal area. In the last decade there were no considerable reclamation processes on these lands, and deurbanization even occured in some places. It is impossible to discuss the further development of urban territories, because this sort of information is not available in Latvia, even last years were very positive for building/developers. According to several parameters capital city Riga has been, obviously indicated as a development centre, but presence of the coastline in this case was a second-rate parameter. Indices for the main load bearer e.g. population changes, proves existence of the continuous depopulation processes and in coastal areas having higher rate than in the hinterland. Not all factors assigned for indicators set here were relevant for Latvia situation and since also unfortunately there were not satisfactory information available (also next CORINE Landcover data assessment is required) it is difficult to give summary assessment for this EU target block. Protect, enlarge and appreciate the natural and cultural diversity. In this field situation might be described as partialy satisfactory. As a positive should be considered a fact that in a 10 km coastal zone protected nature territories having NATURA 2000 status occupy already 34% of all territory and it has been growing over the pariod of last five years. However, at the same time, this territory covered by NATURA 2000 is not too high in order to become an inhibiting factor for this 10 km zone general development, although there some expressions of local inhabitants having an opposite point of view. The lack of Red Data Book species monitoring as well as the lack of this Book itself for both monitoring background and result records proves that environmental protection measures to high extent are carried out using administrative methods and rather neglecting the dynamics of coastal biodiversity processes. Also lack of finances has some contribution for this. There are no products yet in Latvia protected by the corresponding national label (PDO/PGI/TSG), although there is a number of products, which should have such label (like some sorts of rye bread, sweet-and-sour bread, hempseeds butter). However national quality label protects relatively high proportion of food staff products having a local origin. 55

56 Facilitate and support dynamic and sustainable coastal economics. Mainly port activities and tourism can be discussed. The turnover of cargo by volume and its dynamics speaks about the development of this branch of economy, at the same time increasing the load on the sea environment. As a positive factor, the gradual equalization of cargo turnover in big ports of Latvia should be mentioned as well as increase of contribution also by the small ports. The tendencies in the passenger transport development are unstable as too much depend on the local political factors. Relatively small number of tourism accomodation objects passed the local ecocertification and coastal areas do not stand out among other reagions. At the moment of finishing the indicator calculations, none of them had European ecosertification, but now some do have it. The main reason is lack of interest among local clients as well as no willingness to pay for unnecessary things, according to their opinion. Taking into account the relatively low intensity of tourism, it can not be considered as a critical drawback also from sustainability point of view. Although this tourism intensity tends to increase at a relatively high rate, but this occurs mainly due to activities in at/nearby capital city Riga. In fact, nothing can be discussed about the employment in different sectors, as no sufficient reagional statistics has been collected, allowing to define tendencies specific for the coastal areas. There is almost no information about the seasonal statistics and migration of workforce. The lack of this statistics reflects also actual indifference on the governmental level for the issues of regional development and workforce issues. Guarantee cleanness of the coast and non-pollution of coastal waters. In this field, inspite of growing antropogenic loads, situation can be described as quite good. According to accounting of accidents as well as monitoring of oit sliks from the air, sea pollution with oil products has decreased since the beginning of the last decade. Positive tendencies are registered also in bathing water quality, although the inlet from the Daugava River determines some hot spots on the beaches of Vidzeme. Due to incomplete range of measurements it is more complicated to assess the inlet of nutritional P and N, however, increase tendencies since the beginning of 1990ties are rather small if they exist at all. The volume of collected coastal waste is rapidly growing, however this corresponds not only to the waste production growth, but also to the growing activity of waste accountance and clean-up works. In the same time, some coastal municipalities are rather slow for this works. Decrease social exclusion and support social cohesion in coastal municipalities. In fact, it is impossible to do a complex assessment of the progression towards this goal, partialy due to the lack of regional statistics and other reasons too. Due to the lack of regional statistics it is impossible to assess the coastal impact neither on population income, nor social exclusion and their tendencies. There is no official definition for social exclusion at all in this country. Some picture can be created only for unemployment indices, which are relatively favourable in coastal municipalities. In some places even some lack of workforce is registered, which can be considered as development impeding factor, but its impact on the sustainability is smaller. Well detailed information is available about values of real estate. The overwhelming growth of the prices do show high proportion of speculative transactions, which is in diametral contradiction with sustainability preconditions. However, information about real estate outside the big cities is biased by the low market intensity. Other measures of population prosperity like second homes (summer dwellings, second flats etc.) are not accounted at all. 56

57 Wise use of natural resources. The picture is quite favourable here. Only one fish species is overfished (cod), while others are yielded within biologically safe limits despite of continuously growing catch volumes. Most probably this increase will not last for long. The problem of drinking water resources being so acute for many countries is not an issue for Latvia and the existence of rich underground resources permits optimistic future assessments.. In some places water quality is an issue due to the presence of some natural components (iron) in it, which are not dangerous for the health, but reduces the water taste quality and causes damage to the technical appliances due to appearing deposits. Clarify threats for coastal zone caused by the climate change, provide means for ecologically acceptable protection of the coast. Some coastal areas are obviously exposed to the factor of threat, like wash-off of the coastline and flooding due to strong storms, but untill there is no whole background to argue, that this is due to the climate change and rise of water level. In fact, neither meteorological, nor hydrological observations of the required parameters do not show any such tendencies over the period of the last 30 years. Spatial analysis of threats as it is required by the project can not be done, due to the lack of systematic data; some information is missing at all or is not accessible for calculations on the reasonable financial conditions. Base line is not established in this country, digital model of the terrain is not accessible also and many other data are missing, what does not allow assessing territories exposed to risk and endangered resources there. Bottom up indicators and coastal application development Our local indicators development practice started with design and implementation of sustainable development projects with Bartava river coastal region basin municipalities ( ) and Ziemelkurzeme coastal region municipalities and other main stakeholders ( , incl. also introduction of Local Agenda21 mediation center), what has been expanded into institutes and coastal municipalities partnerships based on case study research (also collaboration research) cooperation (from 1999 ongoing). Quality of local sustainability process initiation and further facilitation is based on comunities selfexperience enhancement and the main approaches for such developments are (6): self active work approach, project approach, community involvement approach, interest group approach, team work approach, local involvement approach and environmental communication approach. Local population/interested individuals and local experts/specialists/decision makers step wise participatory capacity creation is the must for development of local community indicators - bottom-up approach subsequently requires wide and active involvement of local target groups, thus representing local values and interests, what importantly develops into possessing indicators ownership. Next challenge, actually, necessity for ICM development, shall be joint integrative sustainable coastal development indicators system done as innovative creation of both national and local approaches in complementary one. Disscussion and conludions Integrated coastal managment has been recognized widely and actively developed in EU, incl. by developing international and national strategies as well as by ongoing application of the main approaches and principles agreed into coastal practice, what is setting coresponding requirements for national/regional planning for all coastal member 57

58 countries, incl. Eastern Baltic as recent newcomers in this ICM field.. Particularly important is further and inovative development of information and communication instruments at their growing variety of different types and complexities, esp. when combining them in diverce application sets, what is to be done paralely and in complementary interrelation with traditional groups of instruments as planning and infrastructure, legal and economic/financial ones. Indicator system elaborated under the frame of DEDUCE project in general was evaluated in Latvia positively. Introduction of this system will provide new information and knowledge both to local governments and national institutions responsible for coastal management and in future might contribute to the optimization even of human and financial resources (7). However calculation process have had a number of difficulties e.g. there were no national level data at all for seven measurements, several important indicators could not be seen at the local municipality level and so loosing much as for coastal indicator as well as at the moment coastal zone related information is not a topic for statistics and no one, at least related, focal point in the country creating a number of information gathering problems. During project work in Latvia, incl. also national assessment workshop, the following principal areas of lacking indicators were detected: coastal landscape characterising indicators - although development of measurement methodology for this purpose may be quite sophisticated, this indicator is important as well; polluted coastal sites indicator mapping of distribution of polluted sites in the coastal zone; coastal communication indicator the whole complect of elements for integrative communication (coastal information and education, coastal participation and environment friendly activities); llevel of fragmentation of natural habitats it may be in total quite enough natural territories but biodiversity conservation in a whole area may suffer from the fragmentation of these territories. When defining the scope of social conditions, it is worth to measure how current lifestyle of coastal population is related to coastal and marine resources, thus hereadditional measurements may be useful: level of which coastal population identify themselves as coastal inhabitants having particular features of living style and special interests characteristics for coastal and marine; level (percentage) of coastal population which employment is directly related to coastal and marine resources even employment patterns are measured under other objective, this measurement has not only meaning for economy but also very important meaning of social conditions. Coastal sustainability perpective and ICM communication and indicator systems eventual developments in this reagion are to be further explored, elaborated and tested at both directions as for planning implementation vertically accross management levels and horizontaly e.g. cross-sectorially as well as, most importantly, at the same time developing systemic integrations of coastal sustainability. Elaborating of national/regional and local coastal case studies research prepares further practical background and also theoretical frames for renewing of ICM strategies, particularly, development of integrated coastal communication using not only, as usually traditionally perceived, diverce coastal information, but necesseraly also complementary integrated it with coastal education/training, public participation/cooperation and partnership development as well as coastal environmentally friendly behaviour, what is to be mandatory done also together with sustainable coastal development indicators and their systems. 58

59 References 1. Ernšteins R., Local Agenda 21 Process Facilitation : Environmental Communication and Self-Experience Development in Latvia, Book:Filho L.W., Ubelis.A.,Berzina D(eds.), Sustainable Development in the Baltic and Beyond, Frankfurt, Peter Lang Europaischer Verlag der Wissenschaften, 2006, pp Indicators Guideline: To Adopt An Indicator-based Approach To Evaluate Coastal Sustainable Development, DEDUCE consortium, EU Interreg project, European Council (2002): Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2002 concerning the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Europe (2002/413/EC). In: Official Journal of the European Communities, pp Brussels. 4. Deduce EU Interreg III C project at: 5. National Environmental Communication and Education Strategy of Latvia, Ministry of Environment, Riga, Kudreņickis I., Ernšteins R., Kauliņš J., Kadikis R., Environmental Information And Systems For Sustainable Coastal Development In Latvia, Proceedings: International conference, Geographic Information Facilities Supporting Access To Environmental Information, Turku, Finland, pp Kudrenickis I.,Bisters V..Builevics A.,Ernšteins R.,Strēle Birzniece G.. Manual Thinking Tools for Municipal Development Planning, Journal of Environmental Research, Engineering and Management (Lithuania, ISSN ), No 1 (27), 2004, p

60 2.2. Public Participation Principle for Dunes Sustainable Management: Coastal Partnerships and Collaboration Communication Raimonds Ernsteins, Alda Ozola Non-governmental organizations (NGO) initiated communication and collaboration with various target groups towards establishing coastal dunes protection partnerships in order to manage both, coastal dunes protection and recultivation work locally in the field and taking part into decision making process for the coastal management planning and legislation development. NGO s initiatives and lately the project proposal was prepared to facilitate participatory dune protection and re-cultivation system development, being particularly threatened by the lack of coastal belts law enforcement capacities and not satisfactory inter-organizational (multilevel and cross-sectoral) co-operation and interested stakeholders participation. The level of information and professional training, law enforcement skills and collaboration experience are very different for formal and nonformal parties involved in this process and this is to be seen as one of the success factors. As to the very important success factors for coastal dunes protection partnerships development is to be mentioned collaboration type communication process facilitation complementary combination of information, education, participation and environment friendly behaviour instruments being acquired and well further developed and implemented by environmental NGO s. This practice is to be widely spread for other stakeholders in the field. Introduction To proceed with further solving of the problem of destroying coastal dunes by vehicles and tourists illegal camp sites there is obvious need of cooperation between all levels of governance from local to the national (and even beyond). There are several groups of stakeholders to be mentioned like local inhabitants and coastal municipalities, environmental protection authorities in the regions and at the ministry level and also various science branches/institutions and businesses. In earlier years i.e. in the middle of 90ties of last century up to 2006 coastal dune protection control was based mainly on the efforts of regional environmental protection authorities that were poorly staffed and equipped and on municipal police in few coastal municipalities. In addition there were several ad-hoc control activities organized by environmental NGO aimed at protection of coastal dune zone during summer season. In the situation when the interest about coastal recreation and various forms of tourism was growing while existing number of parking places for cars and other coastal tourism infrastructure was absent it created background for NGO s and local action groups initiate coastal patrols in order to control the implementation of coastal belt s law requirements particularly in the summer time and weekends. These NGO activities led to initiating long term partnerships with various target groups such as coastal municipalities, environment protection authorities and local businesses. Coastal dune protection work involving regular control visits along with and stepwise communication and partnership development was elaborated already in early 90-ties, but widely spread during However the culmination of partnership building activities was achieved during realization of the joint project Save Latvian Dunes (

61 2009), when finally also volunteer environmental inspectorate system for coastal protection was established. All diverse, but complementary, project activities, particularly based on coastal partnerships and collaboration communication, have been developed and jointly managed by three national environmental NGO s. Background information of endangering factors for coastal dunes According to the Law on Protected Belts in Latvia the coastal strip is considered to be 150m wide in urbanized areas and at least 300m wide outside towns and villages considering the natural habitats, starting from the first natural vegetation in the beach area, dunes and vegetation/forests. Within coastal settlements (villages) and towns the exact width of the belt is established during territorial planning process. Coastal dunes play crucial role in preventing and managing nature-caused and human-made hazards on the Baltic Sea and Riga bay as well in preserving coastal habitats, particularly also due to the growing climate change impacts, in the whole territory of almost 500 km long Latvian coastline. During last decade there are to be seen several external factors that were helpful for coastal dune protection developments, even most of them are to be noted important for the participatory environmental management as a whole democratisation and self-activity initiation process of the society, diversification of public participation forms and methods at all governance levels and esp. their interaction, legal acts (e.g. Environmental impact assessment, Territorial planning and also Building laws, renewed versions of the Protection belts law and Environmental protection law in 2006 etc) and administrative regulations are clearly supporting public participation. Also the first widely known cases of legal processes against coastal belt violations, esp. with illegal building works within the restricted 150m or 300m zone are contributing to the growing coastal values understanding and enhancement of other elements of coastal awareness. Nevertheless the pressure on coastal dunes was increasing, especially during summer period, caused mostly by larger flow of tourists, lack of control and lacking infrastructure. Neither regional or state environmental authorities, nor municipalities were able to ensure sufficient control of the tourism activities to the protected coastal strip area. Particular concern was about tourists driving in and parking their vehicles in the protected coastal area although that was prohibited by law. The reasons why official bodies could not ensure proper control and enforcement of the law were various, but among them the lack of technical, financial and human capacities and unsatisfactory cooperation between different stakeholders both locally and on national level. Environmental NGOs have had already earlier experience with organizing coastal patrols i.e. control visits of voluntary environmental activists to coastal dunes in order to control the vehicles and inform tourists about restrictions that one needs to consider in coastal dune area. These coastal protection activities were mostly ad-hoc and initiated in the period from 1996 up to They mainly took place at the eastern coast of the Riga Gulf in the area of the small harbor municipalities of Mersrags, Roja and Kolka where the local group of Latvian Environmental Protection Club (LEPC) was organizing its activities. However coastal collaboration project Save Latvian Dunes ( ) was planned as a national level activity covering whole coastal dunes strip in Latvia and envisaging multilateral cooperation with various stakeholders at local, regional and national levels. In addition international partners were involved allowing bringing in and share positive experiences thus bringing the issue of Latvian coastal protection to international level. 61

62 This project was a follow-up of NGO initiated activities of Talsi local group of LEPC. Collaboration memorandum in 2007 was signed between Latvian Green movement organization (successor of LEPC), Coalition for Clean Baltic Latvia and Environmental education foundation Keep Latvia Tidy. Besides memorandum that involved core group of NGOs, the coastal protection campaign involved many other partners for coastal protection in practice and management as local municipalities and regional and national environmental and forest management authorities and also financial support partners Embassies of Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden and Friedrich Ebert foundation Baltic office. Lately also Latvian Environment Fund administration and Latvian Land and Mortgage bank assigned grants for the project Save Latvian Dunes. This bank supports also further Baltic Sea protection activities and has introduced special banking product e.g. eco-credit card and around 3 Eurocents from every purchase with such cards do work for the Sea projects. Last but not least is to be mentioned important cooperation with mass media both printed ones (like national newspapers and regional ones) and broadcasting ones (regional and national radio and TV), and internet media. Above described NGO s initiatives and lately also the project proposal were prepared to facilitate participatory dune protection and re-cultivation system development, being particularly threatened by the lack of coastal belts law enforcement capacities and not satisfactory inter-organizational (multilevel and cross-sectoral) co-operation and interested stakeholders participation. Coastal communication and seeking for collaboration partnerships are main objectives besides inspection/control work. It has to be noted however that level of information and professional training, law enforcement skills and collaboration experience are very different for formal and non-formal parties involved in this process, but this is seen as an important precondition for enriching partnership when each partner can build upon each other s knowledge, experiences and capacities. 62 Complementary instruments used for participatory dunes management To analyze the success factors and opportunities for further multiplication effect of coastal collaboration campaign one needs to review the activities and instruments used within the campaign. It started as a bottom-up initiative and was further on supported by various top-down and horizontal instruments participation and coordination mechanisms, information, education and demonstration methods, economic and legal instruments as well as planning and institutional capacity building instruments. Thus from coastal patrol activities when one or several teams of volunteers from environmental NGOs used direct communication tools aiming to prevent people to violate coastal dune protection restrictions (checking the coastal dune area and talking to people there), there were new communication tools developed within coastal protection campaign allowing and facilitating involvement of various stakeholders and use multiple communication tools. The complementary instruments used within campaign in order to multiply the positive effects, are described below. Direct action and activities on the ground: - Coastal patrol control visits to coastal dunes area several teams of volunteers from environmental NGOs organized systematic visits to dunes to control the vehicles in dunes. This activity was supported by information and education work components; - Clean up actions in coastal dunes initiated by NGOs and organized together with local inhabitants and schoolchildren, as well as re-cultivation e.g. pine

63 tree planting etc, activities involving also other partners to the campaign such as representatives from the ministry, local media etc.; Environmental awareness raising activities aimed to increase awareness about coastal protection issues of tourists and public at large: - Direct distribution of printed information and education materials including distribution through guest houses, petrol stations, shops etc. (booklets, posters, stickers); - Web-based communication by publishing of plate number photos of vehicles violating coastal belt law in the campaign website and in the website of main daily newspaper; placing regular updates in the websites of campaigning NGOs; - Media campaign through newspaper articles, radio advertisement and even video advertisement on national TV, photo exhibitions etc.). Partnership building activities aimed to strengthen existing cooperation and build new partnerships, create trust and overcome hurdles: - Joint workshop discussions; - Lectures, seminars, also international seminars; - Study tours for decision-makers to get acquainted with the situation in the field; - Participatory work in the local municipal planning process, national legislation and strategies design as well as using guaranteed access to justice in the cases of serious law violations. Capacity building activities aimed to increase the: - Collaboration meetings and action planning together with other stakeholders, incl. building collaboration networks; - Local trainings for environmental activists; - Special trainings and approved legal status (as from 2009 introduced also in the coastal protection) and further work as officially registered voluntary environmental inspectors. Main sustainable development principles applied for this particular coastal partnership are to be mentioned as follows participatory, involvement of all administration bodies and use of a combination of instruments. All of the above described tools overlap and interact with each other and they contributed to several objectives at the same time. To highlight their scope of field and interactions, those tools are listed and classified in a table below. 63

64 Table No. 1 Contribution of various tools to coastal protection objectives. Tools used Control Awareness raising Collaboration and partnership Capacity building building Coastal patrols + + Clean-up actions Information distribution Web-based + + communication Media campaign + Workshops, + + seminars and trainings Participation in + + policy making Planning meetings + + Trainings + + Thus there were various types of activities to be recognized step wise and all interacting with each other aimed to strengthening of coastal dunes protection partnership and communication development. Collaboration type communication has to be mentioned as very important internal success factors for coastal dunes protection and partnerships development complementary combination of information, education, participation and green behavior instruments being acquired and well further developed and implemented by environmental NGO s. This practice is to be widely spread for other stakeholders in the field. 64 Collaborative partnerships Non-governmental organizations (NGO) initiated communication and collaboration with various target groups towards establishing coastal dunes protection partnerships in order to manage both practice protection and recultivation work locally in the field and taking part into decision making process for the coastal management planning and legislation development. Creating partnerships and building on existing cooperation structures was another crucial basis that the campaign was based upon. It was aimed to mobilize existing resources and capacities so that through multi-level and cross-sector networking and various forms of collaboration the overall capacity for protection of coastal dunes would be increased. Diversity and differing professional skills and knowledge should be seen as advantage in this case for creating of informal partnerships. Multi-level and cross-sectoral cooperation among stakeholders and building of partnerships was clearly a success factor of the coastal protection campaign. Project implementation scheme that was applied within Save Latvian dunes! campaign is to be seen as very effective and it generated various smaller local partnerships and a range of spin-off developments, particularly at the national level and for collaboration in the environmental decision making. All in all coastal dunes protection partnership results are not only facilitating further ongoing coastal communication activities, but also serving

65 as positive case of non-governmental and governmental/municipal collaboration in the field of national environmental management. There are forms of partnerships that have been already used before and were successfully used also within this campaign. For example clean-up actions initiated by environmental NGOs often involved also local schoolchildren, municipalities and other people. This ensured that participants got certain knowledge about coastal habitats, the reasons why coastal dunes had to be protected and acquired motivation not to litter there and in other places. Both the coastal patrols and clean-up actions where largely supported by local people living in the coastal areas and that served as a basis to build on the further collaboration i.e. by acquiring information on where most violations where taking place thus allowing to organize more frequent controls in those places. However there were also new types of partnerships created within the campaign. Whereas environmental NGOs were vocally critical about coastal municipalities in earlier years, this time they seek cooperation and through workshops and seminars were jointly discussing the bottlenecks and the ways to overcome the hurdles. This led to the situation when NGOs were helping with fundraising for municipalities to finance information signs and other infrastructure elements in the coastal area whereas coastal municipalities where assigning municipal police capacities to assist NGOs in their coastal patrol efforts. Similarly also cooperation was strengthened between NGOs and various small business in coastal areas i.e. with guest houses, camping sites, shops and petrol stations that helped in distributing printed information materials thus increasing the outreach of the campaign and contributing to awareness raising. Equally there were new cooperation links established on the level of ministries when Ministry of Environment and Road inspectorate jointly worked out the proposal on how to organize fines for those who drive their vehicles in the protected coastal dune area. Sustainability of activities All coastal dunes protection and partnerships building activities described above and specified and foreseen by the project were implemented. State environmental inspectors do recognize decrease of violation protocols issued during last two years that can be seen as a result of successful coastal communication and partnership process. Awareness raising of general public and recreation tourists about coastal dunes protection has been accounted as improving as well, but most importantly, there is to be seen gradual and steady establishment process of the collaborative coastal dune management system. Still the process of diminishing coastal belts law violation cases is the long term process and further efforts need to be ensured in a systematic way. Sustainability of results is a crucial issue in times of economic crisis when drastic cuts of budget expenditures are applied and as a result the capacities of environmental authorities have been substantially reduced and thus also their ability to organize control visits is very small. Apart from that the public at large doesn t consider nature protection as a priority in times of economic downturn and there is no public demand for allocating higher resources for nature protection. It has to be noted also that the activity of public inspectors for environment tuned out to be lower than it was anticipated earlier. Within current regulation their biggest role is to contribute to awareness raising of tourists instead of punishing tourists if they violate the law. On one hand these public inspectors who are trained and have passed an exam and clearly demonstrated interest in environmental protection is a potential that regional environmental authorities could use to compensate for 65

66 their low capacities. This would be win-win collaborative partnership where involved partners can build on each other s knowledge and capacities. Conclusions All in all, the proposed project implementation scheme has been very effective and generated various smaller local partnerships and a range of spin-off developments, particularly at the national level and for collaboration in the environmental decision making. Coastal dunes protection partnership results are not only facilitating further ongoing coastal communication activities, but also serving as positive case of nongovernmental and governmental/municipal collaboration in the field of national environmental management. Significant outcome of the coastal protection campaign is also a change of perception and better understanding of the issue among various stakeholders NGOs, local inhabitants, municipalities, environmental authorities, traffic control authorities, police and tourists. There are no easy single solutions but through partnerships and collaborative communication one should strive for win-win situation. Coastal patrols a control along with punishments turn to be efficient in combination with communication to the visitors and among stakeholders. References 1. Ozola-Matule A., Matulis J. NGO Initiatives and collaboration Development for Coastal Dune Protection,(2009) in Sustainable Coastal Development: Collaboration Governance (R.Ernsteins and R.Jurmalietis, eds.), University of Latvia Academic Publishing, Riga in latvian 2. Ozola-Matule A. Strategic Environmental Assessment and Coastal Communication Development and Public Involvement (2006), Coastal Management and Communication: Case Studies Development, Integrated Coastal Management Research School, Roja, Latvia, pp Ernsteins R. Integrated environmental communication management for coastal regions. E- Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of the European Union for Coastal Conservation Littoral A Changing Coast: Challenge for the Environmental Policies, November, Venice, Italy, 8p, Ernšteins R., In Filho L.W., Ubelis.A.,Berzina D(eds.). Local Agenda 21 Process Facilitation: Environmental Communication and Self-Experience Development in Latvia, (2006) Sustainable Development in the Baltic and Beyond, Frankfurt, Peter Lang Europaischer Verlag der Wissenschaften, pp Ernšteins R., Coastal Communication And Partnerships For Municipal Sustainable Development, Proceedings, International conference, Management And Conservation Of Coastal Natural And Cultural Heritage, Aveiro Univeristy, Aveiro, Portugal, 2005, pp Ernšteins R.(2005a), Coastal Communication And Partnerships For Municipal Sustainable Development, Proceedings, International conference, Management And Conservation Of Coastal Natural And Cultural Heritage, Aveiro Univeristy, Aveiro, Portugal, pp Project Save Latvian Dunes information on the webpage of the Latvian Green movement organization 66

67 2.4. Complementary components of coastal risk communication in theory and practice: information and education, participation and behavior Raimonds Ernšteins, Madara Kalnina, SolvitaMuceniece, Māra Lubūze, Selīna Ābelniece, Anete Šturma, Ilga Zīlniece The present report is focused on CSR (case study research) of three coastal municipalities- Saulkrasti, Salacgrīva and Ventspils, which basically discusses coastal communication types, such as rural and town coastal risks and climate change and adaptation. Each type of communication is constructed taking into account the proposed methodology that consists of problems, approaches and concepts, which are more closely reviewed in theoretical part, while real-life examples of coastal risk communication are provided in practical part, with general summary given in conclusive part of the report. Problems, approaches, concepts In the beginning of the report it is necessary to provide insight into thematic areas in coastal risk communication, which are the following: Natural disaster threats including storm, heavy rain, snowing, icing, blizzard, earthquake, floods, forest and peat bog fires, Technological catastrophe threats describing the leak of dangerous substances, transport accidents, failures in heating supply systems, failures in gas supply systems, failures in water supply and sewerage systems and electrical power network damage, Human health and social threats emphasizing dangerous infectious diseases, outbreak threat of other infectious diseases with considerable and difficult-to-control spreading potential, mass disease of animals and plants and dangerous infectious diseases, public disorder, terror acts and armed conflict. Before proceeding with communication process activity description, it was important to mention the two types of analysis that were performed: o risk management analysis - focusing on identification, analysis, priority formulation of potential risk factors and risk sources (technical object, social or natural phenomenon which, in certain conditions, may lead to accident), theoretical and practical basis of existing civil protection system, capacity of involved institutions, effectiveness, territory planning, interconnection between spatial planning and civil protection plans, company safety reports and emergency action plans of health institutions, o risk communication analysis- that was carried out for each type of threat separately and within the territory as a whole, including risk communication through environmental communication in the household environment, working environment, public environment and governance environment. Communication was evaluated in terms of its educational, informative, participatory and environmentally friendly action aspects and the involvement of all target groups in each area of potential threats. In the context of effective coastal communication process, taking account the specific features and conditions of coastal municipalities, four-partite cycle model was elaborated for developing collaborative communication. Four mutually related elements are included in the four-partite cycle model, such as tasks, instruments, result application (including knowledge and intellectual skills, understanding of values) and applied 67

68 environmental awareness. In such a way, the environmental awareness can be perceived as integrated process and product. After the threats to coastal municipalities were outlined and the risk management and communication analyses had been discussed, including the development of four-partite cycle model, it is quite important to discuss the methodology that was applied in case study research in there coastal municipalities. 68 The methodology constitutes the following: R&D projects where University-municipality collaboration research is carried out in order to prepare municipal planning documents, guidelines, procedures/handbooks, Case study research (CSR), can be characterized as complementary and integrative selection of traditional sociological methods, such as document analysis (incl. all procedures, assignment planning for managers etc), field observations and evaluations/assessments, Sociological research in the territories of the project, including interviews (40-60 persons) of experts, municipal officials and representatives of all main target groups and questionnaires for local residents ( persons). In CSR of Saulkrasti municipality CSR was focused on rural coastal risk communication. Information sector in coastal risk communicated is related to identification of existing natural and technological risk. Likewise, the possible risk-prone areas have to be analyzed and public has to be informed on impacts of existing natural risks. Information sector is closely linked with education sector in coastal risk communication, since the residents must receive adequate education on natural environmental risks, along with instructions in case of catastrophe and emergency situations. To this end the development of mechanism for municipal risk education and coordination has to be established, while education through the media should also be promoted. It is important within the information sector to define the goal for further action. In Saulkrasti case it could be the following- to ensure a safe environment in Saulkrasti territory, all risks pertaining to the coastal territory need to be identified and analyzed, incorporating these into planning and other policy documents, as well as providing publicly available, systemic information on existing and possible threats and promote knowledge on required action in case of risk occurrence. Before setting the goal, the identification and analysis of factors of natural and technological impacts and threats to public health safety, have to be accomplished, providing information to the public and other stakeholders. The next phase in ensuring effective coastal risk communication, apart from information and education sectors, is the participation and action sector, directed towards coastal risk prevention, response to emergency situations and emergency recovery operations. In order to establish the effective coastal risk communication, several commitments have to be made in risk identification, analysis and management: o all the natural, technological and public health risks are determined, o impact of potential climate change on the coastal zone is taken into account, o all the target groups are identified,

69 o the interests of all involved groups are considered, respecting civil, natural and public health demands and ensuring economic development (including tourism), as well as considering the interests of both residents and visitors, o interactive co-operation among all the internal and external target groups is promoted on all stages of risk management. To successfully organize, supervise and complete the project some of the preconditions have to be considered. One of the main is the civil protection system that is in line with county and national planning documents towards sustainable, responsible municipal decision making process, with availability of regular, clear-cut, objective, preventive information on environmental risks and possible type of risks. It also includes: o Understanding of municipal leadership and the general public of the importance of identifying, analyzing and communicating environmental risks, o Change in public behavior active participation in environmental risk identification and information dissemination processes, o Coordinated and effective collaboration and communication among all involved actors and stakeholders. Quite important is the human resources commission of municipal civil protection with clearly defined responsibilities, resource support from the expertise sector. Municipal and national police, Saulkrasti health care centre, National Fire Fighting Service, residents, entrepreneurs, the media, educators, NGOs, experts can be mentioned among human resources in place. Among other resources, the following can be mentioned: o Financial resources municipal budget, EU funds and support programs; these are limited so priority area identification is essential; o Information resources different environmental monitoring data, research results, best practice examples in ensuring environmental safety, o Communication resources informative channels, formal, non-formal, informal environmental education, Saulkrasti local media, informative brochures, etc. To ensure effective collaboration among different target groups and stakeholders and to implement the coastal risk communication, considering the specific character of Saulkrasti territory, municipal policy implementation instruments were elaborated, among them: o Policy instruments (decision on drafting coastal risk communication policy, planning, priorities, investment policy), o Legal instruments (national regulatory framework, municipal regulations, civil protection plans, safety programs in companies), o Economic and financial instruments (municipal budget resources, taxes, EU structural funds and international co-operation programs, loans), o Institutional instruments (strengthening of existing institutional capacity), o Public participation instruments (proactive participation of residents in information gathering, decision-making and policy formulation), o Monitoring instruments (monitoring of policy implementation, review of further plan of action), o Communication instruments (publications in Saulkrasti printed and electronic media, informative brochures, environmental risk information communication through educational work with different target groups), 69

70 o Co-operation instruments (co-operation with national institutions, administrations of other municipalities in information supply and exchange, warning, resource provision, cross-border co-operation, co-operation with experts research projects, public involvement in risk identification). Salacgriva municipality CSR was directed towards climate change adaptation and communication issues. At the beginning of the research, the problematic aspects were identified. It was ascertained that Latvian municipalities do not use their internal potential of communication development to achieve balance among economic, social and environmental development. Although many municipalities have set sustainable development as their objective, those are mostly isolated activities that take place, without united, integrated approach. Municipalities that have successfully implemented sustainable management practices do not use their opportunity to promote their experience, which would foster positive imagebuilding. It is also necessary to point out that municipalities underestimate the need for and potential benefits of promoting the participation in the decision- making process of all interest groups in the municipality, cooperation and exchange of information. To ensure the climate change adaptation (CCA) in coastal municipality, certain communication procedures have to be established. These are based on different communication approaches. Organizational communication approach is communication taking place within municipality and is aimed at achieving conceptual agreement on integrating the CCA approach into municipal development planning, everyday work and into communication and co-operation practice. The interest group communication approach describes a process in which a municipality promotes the development of a communication and co-operation network for the local interest groups so as to strengthen the county s internal collaboration potential for the promotion of CCA, while self-experience communication approach is based on local interest groups and interested individuals who are involved in the CCA development, facilitating the compiling and dissemination of their positive and environmentally friendly behavior experience. Several conditions have to be taken into account before developing governance environment within administrative territory of municipality. For this purpose, the program guidelines for municipal environmental and climate change adaptation were elaborated, including the following: o Policy planning development, o Management internal resource development, o Contents and process integration development, o Policy public relations development, o Friendly behavior development, o Target group participation and co-operation development. Based on developed program guidelines, climate change adaptation action program was prepared, focusing on communication policy, the main principle being the environmental and climate change adaptation communication and development integration, where the chief executing body is municipal administration. There were other complementary communication approaches included: o Climate communication as science communication development (chief executing bodies science representatives, the media, municipality), o Integrated communication sector approach (chief executing body municipal administration), 70

71 o Application of environmental marketing in climate change adaptation policy (chief executing body the media), o Self-organization and participation development of mediator groups (chief executing bodies the mediators: educators, NGOs, the media, scientists), o Environmental information management development (chief executing bodies the mediators: educators, NGOs, the media, scientists), o Environmental education development (chief executing bodies educators, municipality, NGOs), o Public participation and co-operation development (chief executing bodies all target groups), o Promotion of environmentally friendly behavior (chief executing bodies all target groups). Ventspils municipality CSR was based on the communication of coastal town risks. Initially, some basic factual information about city has to be provided in order to better understand the potential risks to environment and human health and safety and the possible ways to manage them. Ventspils is a coastal town of inhabitants with its inherent natural conditions and natural risks. It also includes 8 potentially high-risk companies, located basically within the port, involved in cargo transshipment operations, which connected with the railway network that runs through the densely populated areas. To coastal residents living in typical maritime climate is part of everyday life, and coastal natural risks are not sufficiently assessed, therefore the task of environmental risk communication is from time to time to remind people of these potential threats to the coast. It has to be noted that omission of information or incomplete information may also lead to risks and the consequences caused by the unreasonable decision-making. Insufficient information on environmental risks, situation awareness and the lack of action plans adequately elaborated by local Government and familiar to the population were the main reasons for the environmental risk communication elaboration. The local authorities will support the target groups oriented collaborative communication between all parties and interest groups (local government, public authorities, Free port companies, trainers, population, mass media, NGOs). As a result of cooperation, environmental risk communication will be integrated into both, the special risk management as well as general environmental and development planning process and documentation of the local government. All appropriate communication means and channels and their potential will be fully applied to provide open access to environmental risks related public information, combined with a diverse public education and involvement which will provide an environmentally friendly, risk reducing and adequate emergency situation action. Problem blocks on the basis of interview, questionnaire and survey analysis were structured, including: o Environmental risk information, o Environmental risk education and cooperation, o Public participation and environmentally friendly behavior. Several target groups were addressed by the study, including the representatives from public, municipal, business, mediation and population sectors. Referring to the outcome of the completed research, the results could generally be viewed from information, education, participation, collaboration perspectives. 71

72 In the sphere of information Ventspils City Council has developed a wide range of communication channels and information flow system for the dialogue with the public. The distribution of the informative brochure addressing environmental risks has been a local government s own initiative. Environmental risks information dissemination system does not sufficiently assess and use the opportunities provided by media, while non-regularity of relevant information dissemination for the public and insufficient awareness raising on environmental risks are the major deficiencies. An important issue of environmental risk information is the degree of detail information and well-considered, not exaggerated information distribution. As far as education sector is concerned Ventspils City Council supports environmental education, but in general environmental education is carried out on a voluntary basis. In accordance with the laws and regulations, environmental risk education is carried out at a high level to specialists involved in environmental risk management (SFRS employees, the CA team members, company employees), but environmental education activities are not enough targeted at the local population. Participation was also among the perspective areas in which the local government, public authorities and companies position themselves as open to the public involvement, as established in the legal requirements. Successful public involvement is prevented by the passivity of the population until the environmental risks are starting to affect people personally, so that the interests of residents in this area depend on their work or living place, and from personal experience. One of the reasons for Ventspils residents inactivity is the over-reliance on local government activities and lack of the awareness of their own responsibilities. Good collaboration has been established between the target groups and the local government, while the co-operation potential with mediation sector is underused. A difference of opinion in relation to the responsibilities of environmental risk management and communication is observed among the target groups, as well as incoherence of civil protection plans within the warning procedure, but this is part of the continuous improvement of the system. Environmental risk communication in Ventspils is occasional, segmental, often separated from the population target group. To support the implementation of communication of coastal risks, three main policy areas were identified: o Collaboration between all involved target groups ensuring the environmental risk communication, o Application of all 4 environmental communication components included in the and their complementarity, o Application of all range of the governance instruments for the environmental risk communication. 72 Summary In summary of all the CSR involving coastal municipalities of Saulkrasti, Salacgrīva and Ventspils with respect to environmental risk management, including natural occurrences, technological catastrophes, men inflicted, it must be concluded that: To the environmental risk management and hence environmental risk communication a diverse target group involvement is important, so this target grouporiented collaborative communication is one of the most essential preconditions for a successful environmental risk communication.

73 Environmental risk communication must be continuous, inevitable, systematic and routine, because of environmental communication components must work in a complementary way, creating a possibly stronger knowledge and understanding of environmental risks. Most important characteristics of environmental risk communication information are openness, timeliness, clarity, comprehensiveness and free accessibility. In addition, the reliability of information providers is important particularly for the environmental risk communication. It is necessary to integrate environmental risk communication to the both special and general environmental policy and municipal development planning process and documentation, and it must be assumed to be on more everyday use level, not only for emergency situations. 73

74 3. Environmental Governance and Coastal Municipalities: resilience understanding and (self) training 3.1. Municipal Education for Sustainability in Latvia: Self-experience and Sustainability Communication Process Prerequisites Raimonds Ernsteins Situation in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the municipal sector in Latvia could be described as still in the development and much wider and diverse application of municipal ESD need to be encouraged, especially in the local rural territories. This overview article will summarize and also exemplify some municipal ESD experiences gathered (incl. selection of the bibliography list) during the last decade at the Department for Environmental Management while there were developed and realized related research and development (R&D) projects at municipalities. Case study research applications as well as various surveys conducted during mentioned period in Latvia do show that all diverse knowledge institutions and particularly universities are getting more acknowledgment by municipalities as their important partners for municipal sustainable development via enhancement of both local/regional research based on interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approaches as well as pre- and in-service education/training elaborated as interactive and community based environmental education and ESD. Municipal sustainable development practice cases in Latvia proves that appropriate application of collaboration research (e.g. university-municipality partnership research) as for preparatory stage and, especially, local conditions based personal selfexperience and community sustainability communication complementary development as for facilitation stage of the municipal education for sustainable development (MESD) enhancement are securing real life based participatory learning-training processes at municipalities and, subsequently, also municipal development. 74 Introduction Municipal sustainable development (SD) process and education for sustainable development (ESD) in general, but, especially at the municipalities, obviously are to be seen in close and mutual interlinkage. In the case of Latvia we shall recognize, that different sustainable development action program (SDAP) projects and activities do involve or at least do facilitate ESD and particularly municipal education for sustainable development (MESD) enhancement locally and step wise its dissemination further around, but not often are to be seen opposite purposely developed ESD and introduced into municipal/sustainability planning. Several active periods of ESD promotion in Latvia have been directly linked with initiations of particular international processes and documents UN Decade of ESD ( ), UNECE Strategy for ESD and, most effectively, after adoption of the ESD process development guidelines (Baltic Agenda 21-E) for the Baltic sea region countries (2002) unfortunately, having no long-term impacts for MESD, except isolated research and education/training activities mainly by universities. There is still an urgent need (ErnsteinsR,1998,2002c,2005b) for further/adult education/training (probably with ESD priority) ought to be theoretically and practically combined with practice of SD contents and processes in municipalities for both general

75 system as well as specialized training programs. Careful preparation is needed, particularly in the relation to the specific target groups and practical experiences to learn from. Distance education, including internet resources, are successfully developing and will have major influence in further education for municipalities in coming years. This overview article on MESD experiences in Latvia, being based on both SD practice oriented and theoretical generalizations background, is aimed to summarize R&D project developments achieved in the university-municipalities partnership by the Department for Environmental Management (DEM) of the University of Latvia during the last ten years ( ) and covering two initial periods (testing and enhancement ones) of municipal SD development. Recommendations for MESD development in Latvia will be prepared on some short applications of theoretical conclusions taken form previous articles and abstracts published (see the bibliography list) and several, main approaches demonstrating, case studies, being illustrated here. Main concept being developed and widely tested during mentioned time frame in Latvia has been set around the collaboration practice model of SDAP development and municipal implementation (EnsteinsR.,2006a), particularly stressing importance of the local development conditions based personal selfexperiences facilitation and local traditons based community sustainability communications encouragement in their complementarity as for MESD. Collaboration governance approach is to be stressed also. The main study methods applied are the case study research applications (consisting of at least on spot municipality studies, observations, document analysis and interviews with local case main stakeholders), including, first of all, the self-development and analysis of SDAP and/or Local Agenda 21 (LA21) projects, processes and related education programs, designed and implemented by DEM, as well as various performed SD surveys in 2000, 2004, 2006 and SDAP application projects in Latvia has been realized in practice (at different level of self-governance with various success and further continuity) and also studied as municipal case studies do allow to presume (ErnsteinsR ), that for successful ESD nation wide establishment it shall be initially started very locally with emphasizing, facilitating and spin-off developing of SDAP as well as carefully taking into account local traditions. Lets further study the situation shortly and some existing cases and experiences. There is to be accounted wide range of sustainable development (also LA21) pilot projects in various types of the municipalities in Latvia, e.g. worthwhile to mention cases in Riga, Jurmala, Cesis, as well as in the Bartava and North-Kurzeme regions. These municipal SD practices were gathered already in second half of 1990-ties and early years of current decade (first municipal SD application period), what allowed us to conclude (ErnsteinsR.,2002a,2006c), that a number of Latvian municipalities have gained not only first experiences, but also really acquired the main knowledge and skills needed for SD planning and implementation, incl. methods for public involvement and self-participation have been developed and tested. Experiences acquired, both general SD process ones as well as specific locality based approaches and even some elaborated models (ErnsteinsR.,2002d), were publicized (universities, Union of Self-governance) corresponding to the present development needs in Latvia for every individual, i.e. subsequently different municipality. Municipal experiences included all three traditional LA21 application approaches, starting by top-down and bottom-up cases and continuing by LA21 centre intermediation as well as university-municipalities partnerships have initiated also some non-traditional cases of LA21 application approaches instrumental integration and disciplinarisation 75

76 approaches (e.g. based on ecotourism as a tool and municipality development sector, Local School Agenda 21 and cultural heritage case with museum involvement as an approach, tool and mediation centre). General conclusion after those first comparatively positive SD implementation trials were stating (ErnsteinsR.,2002a,2006c) municipal sustainability introductory process will take much longer time and, most importantly, innovative approaches and instruments, to begun really full scale implementation of LA21, as significant changes are required in the everyday management of municipality activities, the identification and real involvement of all target groups, and securing the diversity of necessary resources, particularly, human resources. These guidelines taken towards the second municipal SD enhancement period brought main stakeholders and, first of all, university-municipality partnerships to more specified and especially human resources developing sustainable development action program (SDAP) projects (incl. emphasis on state required municipal development planning system instead of LA21 approach). In the conditions when general interest on municipal SD processes in Latvia were slowing down, there was further elaborated and step wise tested collaboration practice model of SDAP development and municipal implementation (ErnsteinsR.,2006b) as complimentary set of elements for sustainability governance and management facilitation: 1. collaboration/partnership research as start-up precondition and then project based SDAP development background, 2. structural network facilitation approach for LA21 development as framework structure for process facilitation, 3. self-experience facilitation/approaches toolbox as activity process development; 4. four partite incremental environmental communication cycle as LA21 activities content development. Education for sustainable regional/local development is to be seen as interlinked and mutually beneficiary for both theoretical approaches elaboration and later realization at various education levels, types and systems from one side and its local/regional municipal practice activities development in Latvia from other, what will be discussed ahead using some case exapmles. Self-experience facilitation toolbox for MESD activity process development During realization of the university-municipality education/training projects and courses in Latvia in the 1990-ties (Ernšteins R.,2002c,d) there were compiled and tested the complementary set of ESD training approaches and methods based on a number of formerly wide known but now in the Latvian local practice re-designed participatory education activities. Municipal practice development oriented end product designed, discussed and evaluated in the self-planned various stakeholders participated group work formed the basic preconditions for the development of so called self-experience - experience acquired by stimulated active work of the individual at local conditions based facilitation/training exercise at the same time being applied in the further acquiring of experience. This kind of self-experience development tool-box were initially full scale tested during Bartava SDAP model-project (Kudrenickis I.,2002c,2004) and later municipal ESD training programs and was recognized as being crusial for local population/interested individuals and local experts/specialists/decision makers initiative and participatory capacity step wise creation and further self-organized application towards local 76

77 municipality development. Complementary work to be done and the must of local SD initiation is to be creation of positive attitude towards innovations in municipalities so as to encourage the local stakeholders and general public to accept the new ideas and opportunities necessary climate of interacting resonance and openness for action (ErnsteinsR.,2002e,2006c). This is to be started with situation study and evaluation (particularly collaboration research), consideration of the community and interest groups opinions and their participation, as well as facilitating self-organizations of local initiative groups and corresponding project development, etc. There are to be recognized following self-experience development tool-box components: self-active development and project ideas, community involvement wave and interest group s participation, local facilitation teambuilding and local expert s involvement as well as environmental communication emphasis (ErnsteinsR.,2006c) Self-experience work would have to result in concrete local development ideas that the participants would come up with on the spot and immediately publicly present, i.e. discuss, that would lead to already formulated, and most importantly, practical results, namely project forerunners. Local facilitation team is to be encouraged as a well organised group of local activists working in close cooperation, and harmonious spirit, complimenting and supporting each other, consequently achieving more than if working alone, achieving results of good quality applying new and often unusual and original solutions jointly produced. Complementary reinforcement of information, education and involvement of the community, examples of environmentally friendly activities and studies and use of the specific local conditions based formal and non-formal communication forms are those required activities to overcome this still main local development obstacle. Bartava sustainable development case as self-experience bottom-up facilitation approach After general approach introduction let s examine a concrete example of using selfexperience development toolbox in the municipal cases in Latvia - elaboration and realization of the first Sustainable Development Action Program (SDAP) model-project (authors - R. Ernsteins, I. Kudrenickis, A. Builevics, G. Strele, 1998) in Bartava region (nine local municipalities in Southern Kurzeme region) as still in terms of content and volume the most thoroughly prepared and fully completed municipal sustainable development planning project. This SDAP planning and implementation process actually represents and, even more, triggers municipal education for sustainable development (MESD) process in the municipality for all main stakeholders and general public as well. Applied SDAP methodology elaborated for the project has been later more widely tested and these approaches can be applied in any municipality in Latvia at any administrative level, but certainly, taking into account as minimum following two human resources development preconditions. Once initiated, existing process of self-activity and interest development in thus activated municipality could continue on its own by, sometimes even being not interconnected, gained self-experience further generated local activities or, at its best, could be further facilitated by any interested stakeholders, what certainly requires following precondition - existence of such stakeholders and/or development work needed to secure presence at the municipality of such interested and as good as possible ready to act stakeholders. In the Bartava case it was initially done by grouping of this region schools and environmental education teacher s networking, but later by, so called, Bartava region 77

78 Environmental Management Council, having different project s based staff and, most importantly, all region municipalities as shareholders. Unfortunately, this precondition is heavily depending on adequate human resources available very locally and being interested to be involved, what in this region was a case for some 5 7 years as step-wise trained project staff got more interest in more challenging higher planning level projects and moved away, but new relevant and pre-trained personnel instead was not encouraged and prepared. Of course, this correlates directly with second precondition - continuing positive attitude and feedback from particular municipalities as well as whole Bartava region leadership and officials, what is to be recognized as very important, but fortunately being not fully limiting one. In the current example of the Bartava post-project situation, those preconditions, actually, not requiring a great number of financial resources, were not properly dealt with and in combination with following number of municipal leadership changes, we shall recognize that local sustainable development as well as education process initiated has been slowing down and SDAP, still used as background for development of new projects, has not been further widely integrated in the daily work of this region municipalities. At the same time, self-experience approach application in the Bartava project could be and was further utilized and at the first we will look at the content and principles of the model-project, and shortly examine the main results achieved, as well as SDAP preparations and methods elaborated for this project. Methodology and realization of the model-project was based on generally accepted sustainable development theoretical elaborations and on practically tested innovations in Latvia. Practical self-experience development building approaches being formerly tested at different level municipalities in Latvia, were selected as the foundation for elaboration of the model-project (ErnsteinsR.,1995), particularly, in order to ensure broad and true-life public involvement and participation of all possible municipal partners and interest groups. Looking at the set of the previously mentioned approaches and, taking into account the necessary interaction for the application of these approaches as well, it could be said - the body of the approaches can be realized most effectively exactly in this mutually complementary way, i.e., by adding to and improving the productivity of each approach (Kudrenickis I. et al,2004). In all sustainable development related and/or training projects in Latvian municipalities these seven complementary approaches could be rather simply but qualitatively enough realized within the so called public target-groups self-experience seminars (within group works on the spot, by elaborating project ideas etc.), which are, of course, supplemented with a large volume of objective and subjective information, which, on its part, is to be obtained as collaborative research/inquiry projects, also by carrying out a broad (and personalized) sociological poll, preferably with the help/involvement of local experts, pupils and other inhabitants. The greatest effect in such self-experience seminars was obtained not only via participants group work on analyzing and evaluating the local development aspects, concrete sectors and issues, but particularly by participatory elaboration of perspective sustainable development actions, i.e., via local practice based end product-orientation. Namely, at the end of such seminar (either comprehensive version of 1-2 days or even better version of two legs seminar one day each part) participants left with positive satisfaction and future expectations after actively collaborating spent time and received partially self-developed handouts, but also with considerably raised self-experience during workshop (only facilitated by councilors) participatory process and cross-sectorial content studies - exchanged ideas, self-elaborated previously thought or brand-new projects, as well 78

79 as with new-found (often even previously known) persons who share the same views for SD planning and realization of on-spot proposed and elaborated projects. This concrete and in local municipalities easily comprehensible practical project approach become to dominate in the model-project (and later widely spread too), since all SDAP were chosen and formed during seminars as discussed and prioritized project lists being grouped in all the main municipal sustainable development sectors. Such project ideas based local SD action programs are easily to be understood and thus further prepared in order to be used in the municipal daily work either for planning of everyday activities or adjusting those project ideas generated to applications for concrete funding possibilities etc. The quality of the achieved results in SDAP elaboration, taking into account sustainable development planning in municipalities in general, was ensured by the chosen practice methodology (incl. seminars with interest group participation in particular) : o integration of strategic planning and action planning approaches; o mutual integration of the different, frequently separated municipal operational sectors in the planning process (in the seminar); o elaboration of sustainable development indicators used for planning and measurement and later evaluation of the achieved progress in the particular sector or whole SDAP context (preferably as visions and aims), especially, when utilizing indicators bottom-up development process (in communityinitiated way); o SDAP bottom-up planning process as pre-planned self-experience rising work. In the case of Bartava region SDAP model-project was possible to use all the theoretical and practical experience together in one project - in realization of the already mentioned self-experience approaches at local and regional level in Latvia and main steps were as follows (KudrenickisI.,2004, ErnsteinsR.,2002d): o regional inhabitants poll, o elaboration of the municipality image and sustainable development indicators initiated by the local community, o elaboration of sustainable development indicators list for the whole Bartava region, o SDAP elaboration in each regional municipality, and o SDAP elaboration for Bartava region. It is important to note that such model-project steps and concrete methods have promoted both previously expected and also brand-new municipal development activities. For example, after self-experience seminars separate interest associations have been established, the most active municipal experts have independently applied the methods of seminars, thus gaining new potential and different solutions in their municipalities etc. Also there are different other self-experience development activities further elaborated and applied in municipal SD since Bartava project design and implementation and so becoming widely accepted however still not so regularly used at municipal planning and/or education/training work. Taking into account above described Bartava case there are to be recognized that municipal SDAP bottom-up participatory and interactive planning process creates and can sustain comprehensive MESD at the very local self-governance level. 79

80 Four partite sustainability communication cycles for MESD content development Sustainability development problem solutions are not only strongly correlating with information and understanding of situation, level of knowledge, but also with sense of responsibility and readiness to act. Results of the assessment of different SD project cases and related activities and also public environmental awareness development in Latvia indicated the need not only for an environmental (ErnsteinsR.,2006c,2005a.2007b), but also sustainability communication system and related process development with involvement of all main actors in the field - ministries and other public institutions, municipalities, general public and public organisations, business organisations, mass media, research and education development bodies and networks etc. Sustainability communication is then viewed as multilateral information exchange and coollaboration enhancement process based on and including four following components: information, public education (target groups oriented), participation and partnershipsas well as environment and society interaction friendly behaviour. Subsequently, we proposed (ErnsteinsR.,1997,2002d,2006c) initial sustainability practice cases based model of incremental sustainability communication or collaboration communication cycle approach. Elaborated and in the municipal practice tested model (see Table 1) demonstrates the linkage between sustainability communication tasks as the cyclic basic steps of collaboration communication components integration process and pedagogical/practical results ESD content components. Within the particular SD issue oriented cycle this ensures applied and concrete practical case based sustainability awareness components development, but within the multi cycle integration it is complementary leading to the process of motivated self-experience and personal SD practice development and so facilitating general sustainability awareness enhancement. 80

81 Table 1 Incremental sustainability communication process four partite cycle model (adapted fom Ernsteins 2006c) TASKS TOOLS AND APPLIED RESULT ENVIRONMENT 1. Information Choice depends on specific/concrete 2. Public education 3. Involvement and participation 4. Environment and society interaction friendly behaviour sustainability problem situation : on specific tasks, target groups, thematic content; action realization etc. Knowledge and intellectual action skills, situation attitudes (I) Understanding and values (valueorientation) Applied action skills, practice and selfregulation attitudes (II un III) Action motivation and readiness, action self-experience SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS (integrated process and product) Applied sustainability awareness (incremental concrete practice oriented) Appropriate sustainability communication result have been measured as knowledge and practical skills, understanding and ability to solve problems, up-to self-regulation attitudes, motivation and readiness for concrete action and obtained experience for case related target groups as well as each individual in general. National environmental communication strategy case as for sustainability instrumental facilitation. The whole community, incl. politicians as we ll as all diverse target groups, still do face the environmental problems, however the level of information, professional education, experience and management skills etc. capacities to participate and act are very different. Consequently the role of communication process is constantly increasing, but communication instruments are to be recognized as exactly those ones that may become the crucial tool for environmental and sustainability development (Strategy, Ernsteins R. 1998, 2000d) The four partite incremental environmental communication cycle model demonstrates the necessity for all four basic elements and their direct and cyclic interaction within environmental communication process as identified in the definition and latter development of National Environmental communication and education strategy (Strategy,2000), which has been elaborated during and can be mentioned as one of the nation wide applications of this theory and practice based development. According to the model of environmental/sustainability communication cycle objectives and tasks of the strategy were set, principles applied, as well as target group s approach formed and elaborated with respect to their involvement content and methods. 81

82 The main statements of environmental communication development situation at the end of last century have been defined in the strategy (Strategy, 2000) as follows: 1- Insufficiently coordinated circulation and complicated availability of environmental information, its inconsistency with needs of different target groups, 2- Low level of public education and understanding about the necessity of environmental protection and environmental problem solutions possibilities, 3- Insufficient activity of community and other target groups, as well as a lack of mechanisms for participation in decision making, 4- Insufficient preconditions for realization of environmental friendly life style and action of community and different target groups. The aim of the Strategy (Strategy,2000) was to ensure effective development of environmentally friendly public awareness, support different solutions of environmental problems and set out effective framework for co-ordinated environmental communication and education in Latvia. Strategy and Action Programme should have crucially contribute to promote development of the environmental communication and education (EC&E) as tools for effective environmental policy implementation, environmental institutions public relations with different target groups and more effective environmental information demanding-offering feedback relationships. The basic principles of environmental communication listed below set up the need for realization of common state environmental policy through interaction and collaboration first with public and municipalities, but also with all other stakeholders. According to the four main communication cycle components there was grouped also the main principles of environmental communication (Strategy,2000, ErnsteinsR.,1997). 1. Environmental information circulation is to be ensured based on the following principles: - Availability and credibility of information, - Transparency and lucidity of information, 2. Public environmental education implementation principles ensure that environmental education coprehence the environment as the whole through interaction between of nature and human made environment. Developing and improving environmental education in formal and non-formal education and on all levels of public administration the following principles should be followed: - Continuity and succession of education, - Interdisciplinarity and integrity of environmental knowledge. 3. Ensuring of public participation is linked to the motivation for need of environmental protection, promotion individual and public interest, taking into account the following principles: - Personal and professional responsibility, - Collaboration. 4. Formation of environmental friendly everyday action is linked with the positive thinking, exploration of positive examples and making them public, thereby promoting the development of selected principles, corresponding normative mechanisms and procedures. The principles to be followed are: - Unity of action independence and responsibility, - Think globally, act locally. Availability and participation of the particular target groups and their collaboration has a crucial role in the communication process both when preparing and implementing 82

83 environmental policies. The main eight target groups (table 2) has been identified and analysed in the context of environmental communication and public policy theory and, unfortunately, the formation process of different stakeholders groups are still continuing (incl. self-organisation), what obviously is one of the aspects hindering also particular implementation of the main work directions assigned for the strategy today (Strategy,2000): - development of environmental and communication tools within scope of ministry and its' institutions competence, - considering competence of other sectors and environmental communication and education integration into them as integration into the strategies, plans, programs and projects of different ministries for different national economy branches and public sectors., - delegation of appropriate functions and co-operation with NGOs, different forms and organisations of public representation, professional organisations, mass media etc., - co-ordination of co-operation among all target groups considering different competencies and levels of administration, - main tools are as always : legislative and normative acts, environmental protection system and infrastructure (including municipalities, NGOs etc.), planning and economical instruments, and again, but innovative, communication tools. 83

84 Table 2. National Environmental Communication and Education Strategy content proposal (Strategy, 2000 adapted from ErnsteinsR) Definitions 1. Evaluation of environmental awareness development 2. Interaction between state institutions and public 2.1. Competence of state institutions and co-operation with public 2.2. Basic problems 3. Basic approaches for environmental communication and education 3.1. Aim and main tasks Environmental information Public education Public participation Environmentally friendly action 3.2. Basic principles 4. Main target groups for environmental communication and education 4.1. State institutions Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and its' institutions Other ministries and institutions 4.2. Municipalities and their representing organisations 4.3. Residents 4.4. Business organisations 4.5. Non-governmental organisations 4.6. Mass media 4.7. Public education organisations Non formal and adults education General education Vocational and professional education 4.8. Science and technology, higher education establishments 5. Environmental communication and education strategy realisation 5.1. Tools 5.2. Indicators and monitoring 6. Action Programme for environmental communication and education 7. Annexes Education for sustainable coastal development coastal communication practice case. During Interreg project development in Latvia at the DEM ( ) were step wise participatory elaborated several coastal communication project products, being based on collaboration communication model former and more non-traditional applications (EnsteinsR.,2008a,2009b). First and central project backbone activity were coastal municipalities based and local development oriented participatory seminars, realized as collaboration partnerships between municipalitie s main target groups and university with jointly produced real time action planning guidelines for municipal coastal application: Carnikava municipality case - Sustainable Development Action Programme; Saka municipality case - Integrated Coastal Policy Plan; Roja municipality case Integrated Coastal Communication Policy Plan, and even Liepaja township case Coastal Communication Action Programme. Based on those also called model seminars, were designed and developed package of information and education materials and resources to 84

85 be further used as coastal communication facilitation instruments, particularly for coastal MESD. Coastal communication toolbox were elaborated consisting of complementary complex of coastal case studies etc. materials (both newly developed during model seminars and related to main coastal issues, particularly, coastal communication approaches and elements as well as analysis of existing experiences in Latvia). This set of necessary materials were further used also for design and full development of distance education/training modules for coastal partnership target groups self-training on the main nature protection and coastal development themes: Nature environment, Social environment, Environmental management for municipalities, Environmental education, Municipal sustainable development management, Environmental communication. Also electronic communication platform concept and design was developed in order to introduce in future modern and nowadays already accessible even in distant municipalities communication means both locally/nationally as well as internationally between next project partners initially and then all concerned with coastal communication in our region. E-platform could be further expanded to facilitate coastal SC and ESD via discussion, even common preparation of texts/projects and real time communication. This e-platform as well as other approaches and instruments utilized do contribute to MESD. Coastal communication action program Guidebook and Handbook on coastal communication planning and management has been also step-wise designed and elaborated during model seminars in coastal municipalities and tested. Guidebook provides detailed version of four steps approach towards coastal communication action planning for municipalities via assessing and developing communication for main environs of human life cycle - household sector, learning and working sector, public (municipal) sector. Also the integrated case of the coastal communication management system was designed. Handbook in turn represents a whole set of resource materials to develop understanding on all coastal communication cycle elements - coastal information and education/training as well as coastal participation and partnerships, and environmental friendly behaviour all were understood and applied complementary as leading to coastal collaboration practice established and awareness enhanced. In the meantime several municipalities in Lavia Cēsis (2005) and Liepāja (2009) towns and Līvāni (2008) municipality - converted and integrated these mentioned and other DEM models and experiences into their environmental and development planning process and products. In collaboration with invited stakeholders there were prepared and approved official environmental communication planning documents as separate sector or discipline of the municipality development planning. This is to be recognized as direct MESD development facilitation since requiring regular design and implementation of environmental and sustainability information and education, participation and behaviour change activities in the municipality everyday practice. Sustainable development demonstration case as SD and ESD practice application People from the local municipalities often still suffer also from the very sceptical attitude to everything new and slowly picking up new ideas and the main challenge is to change the attitude of the people with the methods of involving them in the communication process and in the decision-making. Besides main Regional Agenda 21 (as SDAP local practice) process development (within EU Life project Green Livonian Coastal Region 21 realized in North Kurzeme region ) particularly elaborating existing and 85

86 eventual conflict resolution and wide partnership and cooperation building there were also designed and implemented sustainable development DEMO projects as the first case in Latvia for ongoing wide and long term positive examples/experiences dissemination and also municipal training development, particularly ESD (ErnsteinsR.,2003a,2005a). Lets mention only some and first - local SDAP planning and process management demo-projects package as partnership practice and public participation based sustainable coastal region development process - the case study (ErnsteinsR.,2003a,2006c) results have permited us to conclude, that a combined version of all four main conventional local SD process approaches, being here tested separately and complementary (however with different degrees of quality fulfilment and later continuation perspective) as the fifth SD process development approach, namely, facilitation as structural network approach, could be recomended for further dissemination in Latvia. Components of this coherent whole approach were developed as a kind of regional sustainable development action program (structural network): - conflict resolution and partnership practice as an overall framework, - round table forum and public participation as a bottom-up process, - council for sustainable development of region as a top-down process for collaborative and integrative decision planning, - regional Agenda 21 centre as an intermediary facilitation and partnership coordination, - rural communication and information network as well as regional sustainable development implementation demonstration projects etc as an instrumental integration and sectorial development. These elements of the coherent whole were seen also as both the main tasks and outcomes of the LIFE project. This applied research/project hypothesis has been appropriately demonstrated during project execution and purposely verified, however still wider demonstration and practice dissemination should have been done as real sustainability activities first time taking place in regional practice were challenged by some decision making bodies/personalities of this North Kurzeme coastal region and full scale project outputs further developments were hindered even the number of, particularly, nonformal and self-initiated activities, have got real continuation up to now. Municipal demo-projects package - open public competition for the best sustainable development demonstration projects (four sites) to be chosen and developed in the four main fields of Agenda 21 - nature environment, social, economic and culture environments. Municipal demonstration projects were elaborated, according to the criteria worked out and taking into account results of public participatory seminars and public survey results, also after discussions and results of Round Table forum based on methodological study results by DEM. Basic principles of the sustainable development were taken as sustainable development demonstration criteria, which proved to be enough difficult to implement, but very good toll to test and use for ESD, e.g projects should have been developed as (EnsteinsR.,2005a): - environment friendly, incl. economy of the resources, choice of the best available technologies etc., - economically profitable local resources must be used in effective way, - socially equitable the needs and interests of the local inhabitants must be respected at first as well as different social and professional groups etc. 86

87 - culture heritage safeguarding culture traditions, including mental heritage must be investigated, used and renewed for the local development. Besides the demonstration character (also as example of experience learning) each demo-project must be innovative and must contribute to the very local (local site) development in the meantime and favor the development of local/municipal territory and society in the future. Also there was requirement to keep sustainable not only the any content work (within economical, cultural, educational, social and environmental field as particular sectors and their interlinking) of demo-project, but also merely the whole infrastructure/supporting system of the demo-territory/objects. Environmental and coastal sustainable development benefits as well as local drawbacks have been seen in every implemented demo-project unfortunately, either in some detail or in the whole application too. For the future of such DEMO developments and alike is to be recommended not only to be realized as separate innovative demonstration projects, but they shall be seen and evaluated as complementary sustainability elements package for the both local municipality SD and ESD practice. Discussion and conclusions SDAP process further development in Latvia and, subsequently, also municipal education for sustainable development has been requiring besides traditional also innovative approaches and instruments to be elaborated and applied. Basic preconditions (besides regular resources necessary) are to be developed comprehensive applications of environmental communication model as incremental multi-component cycle and holistic stakeholder process within environmental management and sustainable development and education practice proves requirement for sustainability communication system thinking and related self-practice experience development as principal and complimentary component (ErnsteinsR.,2006b,c). Exactly, various municipal SD cases do prove, that municipal SDAP bottom-up participatory planning process creates and can sustain comprehensive MESD at the very local self-governance level. Governmental activities e.g. National Environmental Communication and Education Strategy and Program, as well as related municipal level activities (e.g. environmental communication plans or chapters in municipal environmental and/or development planning like in Liepaja, Cesis, Livani) as top-down support framework approach are to be made together for coherent whole with various regional/local self-experience development activities as bottom-up facilitation approach. Expanding realization of university studies (as R&D) curriculum locally at and via municipalities and using all eventual tertiary studies interdisciplinary and interactive elements, which are to integrated wherever possible, appears to be generally necessary and then required by both parties and subsequently could be recognised, that universitymunicipality partnerships are seen as the important driving force behind enhancement of ESD and SD process itself in Latvia. Approaches formulated and several case examples described above and various more detailed long term experiences gathered (DEM selected bibliography list) in municipal training/education on environment and sustainability management and also on ESD application cases itself, do allow to formulate some issues for further discussion and elaboration (full list available at ErnsteinsR.,2005b) for both environmental management training/education and sustainable development/la21 training/education. 87

88 Main approaches to be mentioned are as following. Education/training should be planned and realized for close interlinking and mandatory integration with territorial /regional development requirements / interests, and, particularly, with emphasizing, facilitating and spin-off developing of LA21 etc. action programs and sustainable development concept in general, as well as, especially, prepared taking into account local traditions/background in general terminology (titles etc.) and specialized marketing. Also it should be targeted very precise towards following main municipal target groups - politicians and elected municipal councilors; senior specialists, especially executive directors and planners as well as coordinators and administrators of municipal associations; environmental specialists from municipalities and regional environmental boards; municipal employees; municipal interest groups e.g. NGOs, entrepreneurs, media, education, culture and health institutions, etc.; teachers and students; specialized municipal interest groups (land and forest owners, renters of municipal services, etc.); general public (youth, women and retired persons, etc.). Basic principles and approaches designed for interdisciplinary and interactive environmental management/governance training/education could be almost directly transferred for MESD case, e.g. : - complexity and wholity of spectrum for environmental/sustainability management content, particularly nature environment and social environment interaction, - interlinking of biotic and a biotic together with anthropological social-economic and communicational structures, - complimentarily of state/public and municipal, household and corporate, as well as regional and international environmental/sustainability management dimensions, - functionality of strategic/policy and planning, programming and projecting (4P) levels of environmental/sustainability management, - disciplinary and integrated environmental/sustainability management realizations, - necessity of environmental/sustainability awareness development of specialists and public through environmental/sustainability communication - information, education, participation and environmentally/sustainability friendly behavior, - applicability of monitoring, evaluation, planning and decision making realization functions of environmental/sustainability management. ESD as from experiences with sustainable development management as well as environmental management development continuously requires: encouraging dialogue; creating mutual agreement among all process stakeholders; ensuring formal/informal cooperation; facilitating everyday practice change; disciplinary-sectoral approaches as complementary to instrumental ones respond. Finally, of course, it should be summarised, that all conclusions above as mentioned on education/training approaches/principle, shall be considered as coherent whole and realised into practice when approaching new training developments. 88

89 References 1. Ernsteins R.(1997) The Development of Pedagogical Theory for Environmental Science and Management Studies, Proceedings of the 9th Biennial National Conference of the Australian Association for Environmental Education, Australia, pp Ernsteins R., Kudrenickis I. (1998) Latvia: the Environment Policy Plan, Resources and Public Awareness. In: H.Aage (ed.) Environmental Transition in Nordic annd Baltic Countries, Edwrd Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, Chap 11, pp National Environmental Communication and Education Strategy (2000a), Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Republic of Latvia, Riga. 4. Ernsteins R.(2002b) Local Agenda 21. In: Latvian National Report Rio+10 to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, Riga 5. Kudreņickis I., Ernšteins R.,u.c.(2002c) Vietējās sabiedrības ierosinātu pašvaldības ilgtspējīgas attīstības indikatoru un rīcības programmas izstrāde. Ilgtspējīga attīstība Latvijā: 10 gadi kopš Rio sanāksmes un 10 Latvijas neatkarības gadi, konferences rakstu krājums, Rīga, Latvijas Universitāte, lpp. 6. Ernšteins R.(2002d), Lokālā Agenda 21: attīstība un perspektīvas Latvijā. Ilgtspējīga attīstība Latvijā: 10 gadi kopš Rio sanāksmes un 10 Latvijas neatkarības gadi, konferences rakstu krājums, Rīga, Latvijas Universitāte, lpp. 7. Ernsteins R(2002e)., Local Agenda 21: Development in Latvia, Proceedings Of Research Dialogue Conference Local Agenda 21 in Nordic and Baltic Countries, Helsinki, Finland (web-print) EU/ProSus, Oslo University 8. Ernsteins R., Pulina A., Laicans G.(2003a), Sustainable Consensus for North-Kurzeme Coastal Region Development: Agenda 21 Process application. Proceedings of EU Research Conference Sustainable Region Development, Lillehammer, EU/ProSus, Oslo University, Norway, (web-print). 9. Kudrenickis I.,Bisters V..Builevics A.,Ernšteins R.,Strēle G.(2004) Manual Thinking Tools for Municipal Development Planning, Journal of Environmental Research, Engineering and Management (ISSN ), No1 (27), pp Ernšteins R.(2005a), Coastal Communication And Partnerships For Municipal Sustainable Development, Proceedings, International conference, Management And Conservation Of Coastal Natural And Cultural Heritage, Aveiro Univeristy, Aveiro, Portugal, pp Ernšteins R.(2005b), Local agenda 21 Education for Municipal Development in Latvia: Further and Adult Education case, Book of Abstracts: IXth Conference on Environmental Education in Europe, Environmental Education And Sustainable Development From Policy Into Practice, Klaipeda, Lithuania, pp Ernšteins R.,Kudreņickis I.(2006a), Intersectoral Co-operation For Sustainable Development Policies And Planning In Coastal Regions: Latvia Case Studies; Book of Abstracts: 4th International Conference Citizens and Governance for Sustainable Development, Vilnius, Lithuania, p Ernšteins R.(2006b), Partnerships between Municipalities and Universities as Means to Promote Regional and Local Sustainable Development in Latvia, In Adomssent M., Godemann J., Leicht A.,Busch A(Eds.),Higher Education for Sustainability, Frankfurt, Germany VAS Publishing, pp Ernšteins R.(2006c), Local Agenda 21 Process Facilitation : Environmental Communication and Self-Experience Development in Latvia, In Filho L.W., Ubelis.A.,Berzina D(eds.), Sustainable Development in the Baltic and Beyond, Frankfurt, Peter Lang Europaischer Verlag der Wissenschaften, pp Ernšteins R., Šulga D., Štelmahere D., Grundšteine S.(2007a), Vides pārvaldība un līdzsvarota attīstība pašvaldībās: integrācijas un sistemizācijas prakse tālākizglītības procesā; rakstu krājums, 6. Starptautiskā zinātniski praktiskā konference Vide. Tehnoloģija. Resursi, lpp., Rēzeknes Augstskola, Rēzekne 89

90 16. Ernšteins R., Štelmahere D., Kudreņickis I.(2007b), Vietējās ilgtspējīgas attīstības process Latvijā : komunikācijas, mediācijas un pašpieredzes komplementaritātes imperatīvs; rakstu krājums, 6. Starptautiskā zinātniski metodiskā konference Cilvēks un vide, lpp., Liepājas Augstskola, Liepāja 17. Ernšteins R., Šulga D.,Štelmahere D., Lagzdiņa E. (2008a), Municipal Education for Sustainable Development: Environmental Communication System Approach, 2. starptautiskā konference Vides zinātne un izglītība Latvijā un Eiropā: izglītība ilgtspējīgai attīstībai, Latvijas Vides zinātnes un izglītības padome, konferences rakstu krājums, RTU izdevniecība Rīga, lpp. 18. Rudzīte M.,,Ernšteins R.(2008b) Municipālās vides pārvaldības cilvēkresursu attīstība: integratīvā vides sadarbība un komunikācijas sektorpolitika/human Resource Development in the Municipal Environmental Management. Rakstu krājums/proceedings of the international Conference, 8. Starptautiskā zinātniski metodiskā konference Cilvēks un vide, Liepājas Universitāte/Liepaja University. Latvia, Liepāja 19. Kuršinska S., Zīlniece I., Ernšteins R. (2008c) Integrēta vides komunikācija pašvaldības ilgtspējīgai pārvaldībai: mērķgrupu attīstība un sadarbība/integrated Environmental Communication for Municipal Sustainable Development, rakstu krājums, 8. Starptautiskā zinātniski metodiskā konference Cilvēks un vide, Proceedings of the International Conference, Liepaja University. Latvia. Liepājas Universitāte, Liepāja 20. Lagzdiņa E., Ernšteins R.(2009a) Vides politikas plānošana pilsētu pašvaldībās: disciplinārās un integratīvās pieejas komplementaritāte/environmental Policy Planning in Urban Municipalities. Rakstu krājums/proceedings of the international Conference, 7. starptautiskā zinātniski praktiskā konference Vide. Tehnoloģija. Resursi, lpp., Rēzeknes Augstskola. Rēzekne, Ernšteins R, Jūrmalietis R.(red.) (2009b)Piekrastes ilgtspējīga attīstība: sadarbības pārvaldība/coastal Sustainable Development: Collaboration Management. Rakstu krājums/compilation of articles., Eiropas Parlamenta Nāciju Eiropas grupa un Latvijas Universitāte (izdošanā), LU Akadēmiskais apgāds/academic Publishing University of Latvia, Rīga, 178. lpp Towards complementary municipal and social resilience understanding: stakeholder training on coastal sustainability governance and communication Raimonds Ernšteins, Valdis Antons, Aigars Štāls, Māra Lubūze, Diāna.Šulga, Sintija Kuršinska, Elīna Līce Environmental communication case studies in the Latvian local coastal governments have served as pilot research into the potential and possibilities afforded by the proposed four-dimensional (environmental information - environmental education - public participation - environmentally friendly behaviour) environmental communication model. This research has yielded positive results as to the model s practical applicability in environmental communication process initiation and facilitation, stimulation of target group/stakeholder self-activation for co-operation, dialogue and increased participation in building a complementary municipal and social resilience based sustainable local community. The integration of the proposed environmental communication model into municipal documents has been on-going already and shall be seen as a further achievement towards the effective application of this valuable instrument on the local level and possibly even beyond. In order to facilitate its full-fledged and comprehensive planning and 90

91 implementation, environmental communication could be developed as a separate sector in environmental management. Introduction In the beginning we shall outline general approaches to the environmental communication as a concept and theory as well as to approach environmental communication research in Latvia, by introducing shortly our work to date on coastal governance and particularly on directly related coastal communication and so to provide background information on environmental/coastal communication in Latvia. Environmental communication is an essential environmental governance instrument along with the legal, economic, planning, administrative and infrastructural instruments [1, 2, 4] in preventing environmental degradation, in ensuring sustainability and in achieving a change in understanding, attitude and behaviour. It is an efficient instrument in search for sustainable solutions and in environmental policy planning and implementation, and it has an enormous potential for targeting key environmental objectives as building environmental awareness, sustainable lifestyles and environmental collaboration [3, 4, 6, 10] among all parties involved as exactly we all are looking for in order to develop necessary advantages towards municipal and social resilience building and performing. Environmental communication is first and foremost an interdisciplinary science as it stems and derives its theories from a number of different sciences, i.e., communication science, sociology, social psychology, cultural anthropology and others [6, 10]. When looking at the environmental communication approaches applied by key environmental communication scholars and research institutes in research and practice, theories and models in other sciences such as the ones mentioned above can often be found. Environmental communication experts, coming often as they do, from the field of communication, tend to focus on the specific sub-categories of environmental science such as environmental rhetoric and discourse, environmental mediation, environmental journalism, and campaigning [2, 3] rather than on communication as a complex system of elements interacting within a specific territory, e.g., a local municipality. Risk communication, aiming to improve collective and individual decision making, helps better understand the risks and risk-related decisions for both decision makers and especially for all general public interest groups. This relates to all general thematic areas and also their interrelatedness in coastal risk and its communication, incl.: natural disaster threats; technogenic catastrophe threats; human health and social threats. In search of a holistic, comprehensive and systemic approach towards environmental communication that would possess the greatest potential of achieving a change in understanding, attitude, motivation and behaviour on the way to sustainability, the Department of Environmental Management (DoEM) at the University of Latvia Faculty of Economics and Management came up with a new environmental communication model (Collaboration Communication Model R. Ernsteins [4]), which has to this day already served not only as a basis for a number of environmental communication case studies, but also for formal planning in Latvian local governments (Cesis 2005, Roja , Ventspils 2009 and Liepaja among others) carried out as co-operation projects between selected local governments and the Department (R&D projects & products [5-7]). The developed model can be considered the most comprehensive systemic approach towards environmental communication as it pools into a coherent system all of 91

92 the key elements (or dimensions) that form a joint communicative environment - environmental information, environmental education, public participation and environmentally friendly behaviour [4, 6, 11]. No such pooling has been offered by other communication models. Thus, it aims at illuminating the interaction of the four notions (often disengaged both in theory and municipal practice) and discarding the traditional information-focussed approach. The model also insists that the potential of the combined force of these four communication dimensions can only be utilised to the full extent through ensuring co-operation and partnership among all target (stakeholder) groups involved. Thus, this model is based on the imperative of two complementarities: the complementarity of the four environmental communication dimensions, and the complementarity of all target groups [11] working in partnership - local inhabitants, municipal and state institutions, business sector as well as mediators, NGOs and the media, educators and experts (see, Fig.1). As in any other territory, the interests of nature and the social and economic interests of man often collide, and the more so in the coastal area with its ecological, cultural and historical specifics and appeal. In addition, there are often land and sea conflicts in the coastal area, and man is in the middle of this conflicting environment. Communication is the channel through which these conflicts can be resolved. Coastal communication for sustainable development can be defined as starting from information exchange up to real collaboration among all actors and parties with the aim of ensuring a balanced development of the three pillars of sustainable development the social environment, the economic environment and the natural environment in the coastal territory as a single area with systemically integrated [5, 7] characteristics. 92 Fig.11. Main stakeholders constellation (R.Ernsteins). The situation assessment in the coastal municipalities was carried out not only in each of the three dimensions of sustainable development, but also and especially within fourth dimension - an additional separate dimension called the governance environment