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Statistical data, as well as public reports and comments from industry experts, show that the transition of local governments to the digitisation of internal processes has several challenges, mainly related to ensuring sustainability, reducing the impact on the environment, data security, and technical maintenance [2,3]. Therefore, it is essential to assess the situation in local governments and choose the most appropriate support system for Latvia's situation, which would not only be financial support. In public and expert discussions, different visions of the necessary support tools and benefits from the transition of local governments to the digitalisation of internal processes appear. One of the main benefits is reducing paper, which diminishes recycling and resource consumption [5, 6, 11]. The readiness of local government employees for the transition to digitalisation of internal processes has already been written about in previous studies. This study developed four possible scenarios for supporting municipalities in the transition process, and a group of seven experts was selected for their evaluation. The expert survey was conducted in June and July 2023. Five factors influencing the transition were offered for expert evaluation: Technical infrastructure, socialpsychological aspects, legal, security and data protection elements, financial resources, sustainability, and environmental factors. For each group of factors, three factors were suggested to be ranked in order of importance. Then, using the four previously developed support scenarios, the most suitable one was searched using the multi-criteria decision-making method, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The research uses expert surveys, analytical hierarchy process analysis, and statistical data processing methods. As a result of the study, the most suitable support scenario for Latvian municipalities was determined, moving to the digitisation of internal management processes and reducing paper consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitization is one of the key development priorities for the European Union, which also applies to three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the Baltic States in the fields of connectivity, digital technology use and e-government. Unfortunately, the progress was different in each of the Baltic States, and there were also serious shortcomings in all the states, e.g. concerning human capital. However, unlike Lithuania, the business sectors of Latvia and Estonia still lagged behind the EU average not only in terms of digital technology integration but also in terms of human capital. Almost half of the population still lacked basic digital skills, and the number of trained ICT professionals lagged behind the growing demand in the labor market. Among all the fields, the Baltic States achieved the best performance in e-government. The progress was driven by the increasing number of citizens actively using e-government services and the increasing availability of auto-completed forms and open data. These problems have been analyzed in the paper by employing the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) index. The European Commission has introduced the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) since 2014 to yearly evaluate the evolution of five key dimensions of the Digital Economy in EU member states. Each dimension reflects a relevant policy area: Connectivity, Human Capital, Use of Internet (citizens), Integration of Digital Technology (businesses), and Digital Public Services. European Commission data for the period 2014-2019 were used for the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution in cities caused by traffic is an important environmental and health issue worldwide. Air pollution caused by traffic exceeds air pollution from other anthropogenic sources, such as industrial, various heat supply and residential areas. This study analyzes a wide range of pollutants in snowpacks at different intensity roads in one of the largest cities in Latvia in Jelgava. Snow samples are taken from three sampling points at distance of 1 m, 10 m, and 20 m from the roadway. In the study, various metals, namely lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr) are analyzed in the study. Samples are acidified to 1% HNO3, then left for 3 days and filtered through a paper filter. ICP-OES spectroscopy „iCAP 7000” is used for analysis. Most pollutants show similar trends; higher concentrations of pollutants are observed at a distance of 1 m from the roadway compared to samples taken from further sampling points. Concentrations of pollutants decrease significantly at distance of 10 m. Comparing the concentrations of Pb, Zn, and V at a distance of 1m from the roadway and at a distance of 10 m from the roadway, the concentrations of pollutants decrease by 6 to 11 times. The highest concentrations of Cu, Cr, Mn, Pb, V, Zn are located on roadway Jelgava-Riga about 4 km from city center of Jelgava. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today the concept of e-commerce has become commonly used, and e-commerce has become an integral part of commercial transactions. An increase in the number of global Internet users is the driver of increase in the number of e-commerce transactions. The introduction and role of e-commerce is not well-understood by any manager of a small and medium enterprise. It takes time and money to introduce e-commerce in business, especially in retailing. Enterprise managers need a clear e-commerce introduction strategy to see the potential benefits. The introduction of e-commerce requires a supportive environment affected by various factors. The pace of factor development depends on each country’s ability to take appropriate measures to shape the environment. Latvia and the European Union (EU) have developed policy documents and a relevant legal framework as well as introduced support programs to contribute to an environment conducive to e-commerce in retailing. In Latvia, businesspersons have access to various e-commerce platforms for retail. Research methods. The present research employed general research methods, logical construction as well as analysis and synthesis. The research period: data were analyzed for the period from 2010 to 2020. The sources of information used: specific economic literature, research documents and scientific conference papers, World Data, EU legal documents, Eurostat data, World Trade Organization data, laws of the Republic of Latvia, data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia as well as eBay, Amazon, Etsy and website ss.com data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge-based bioeconomy has been prioritized through European Union (EU) research and innovation policies. In December 2017, the government approved the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030, which set the horizontal strategic goal of achieving "research excellence in traditional bioeconomy industries and efficient transfer of knowledge". Therefore, the aim of the present research is to examine one of the submeasures "promoting research excellence and efficient knowledge transfer within traditional bioeconomy industries" for the implementation of the strategic goal of the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030 regarding "Knowledge and Innovations" in Latvia. The research found that the development of research on the bioeconomy depends on the overall situation in research and development (R&D) in the country. In 2021 in Latvia, total expenditure on scientific research was low, only 0.71% of GDP, of which 64% was EU funds and private funding. The national Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) defines five main fields to be developed in Latvia, and one of them is a knowledgeintensive bioeconomy. In 2018, 1600 scientists worked in this field, which was 23% of the total number of scientists engaged in RIS3 fields. The amount of R&D funding attracted to the bioeconomy field in 2014-2018 was only EUR 27 mln. or 14% of total funding for RIS3 fields, which indicated the insufficient ability of bioeconomy scientists to attract funding and their lower labour productivity. Nine main research institutions employed 89% of the total personnel engaged in the bioeconomy field, who were the authors of 98% of WoS-indexed research papers published in 2014-2018. In the future, the most important research priorities for the bioeconomy field are going to be mitigation of negative climate change impacts, as well as food and energy security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify opportunities for the development of the Latvian forest sector and to assess competition. Nowadays, the development and sustainability of natural resources is of great importance. The forest resource in Latvia is valued as the most important national natural resource. It is therefore necessary to identify and analyse the factors influencing its development. The study included an analysis of the Latvian forest sector exports. The research methodology includes theoretical concepts and a framework of factors influencing the forest sector. The aim of this paper is to analyse the export performance of the Latvian forest sector and to present data on the export of forest sector products, collected within the framework of the study, depending on the degree of processing of the product, as well as to determine the breakdown of partner countries for forest sector exports. The study involved surveys of companies in the sector and expert interviews. The data from the study show that Latvia's forest sector exports have great potential. The largest share in the forest sector's export structure is occupied by primary processing products, followed by further processing products, which overtake the position of logs and by-products. The total value of Latvia's forest sector exports, like the total value of the country's exports, has tended to increase. The analysis of the data obtained will allow an understanding of the factors influencing the development of forestry exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper aims to explore the efficiency of energy consumption on farms of different economic sizes in Latvia. Burning fossil fuels to satisfy a continuously growing demand for energy created by the industry, transport and households has been a cause of concern for several decades. It has been widely acknowledged as one of the major reasons for a massive increase in greenhouse gas emissions, a dramatic rise of global temperature and ongoing climate changes. Since farms use energy not only directly by operating machinery and equipment but also indirectly by utilizing energy-intensive fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals, nowadays, the agricultural sector meets a serious challenge of devising and employing sustainable methods of production to enhance the efficiency of consumed energy. Although this topic has been high on the agenda for researchers, policy-makers, national, international, governmental and non-governmental organizations, little attention has been paid to a comparative analysis of the efficiency of energy consumption across various farms in Latvia. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature by examining the consumption of energy per hectare of the utilised agricultural area and per livestock unit over the years since Latvia’s accession to the EU in 2004. The paper adopted a mixed-method approach by integrating and interpreting the results of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. A statistical analysis was based on data obtained from SUDAT - a national component of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) in Latvia. Research shows that the efficiency of energy consumption significantly differs between farms of various economic sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to analyse the prospects of locally grown soya in substituting imported soybean meal used in pig feeding in Latvia. Soybean meal is a superior source of protein in compound feeds due to its high protein contents and amino acid composition, but the EU is vastly dependent on the import of plant proteins, with the imports of soya for feed dominating. Latvia also imports considerable quantities of soybean meal that is close to the total production of local protein plants. Owing to potential economic benefits for farmers and producers of animal feed, as well as a range of environmental and climate advantages, there is a political support for the development of the growing of protein crops in the EU (EU-plant protein plan, etc.). At the same time, the development of local supply chain of soya largely depends of the competitiveness of Latvian-grown soya. Therefore, the paper first focuses on the EU trends in soybean production and its availability for feed production in Latvia, followed by the evaluation of the competitiveness of Latvian-grown soya within its costs and quality context. Market data and empirical data on soya growing in Latvia have been used in the paper. In order to assess the prospects, the economic value of locally grown soya as a nutrient base for pig feeds has been determined and compared to the full costs of its growing (including processing) in Latvia. The evaluation of the competitiveness of locally grown soya shows that under current conditions it cannot compete in the commodity market, while it can be competitive if used as an ingredient of on-farm produced soybean meal for feeding pigs. The research on the soya competitiveness in Latvia continues, and the obtained results are planned to serve farmers as well as policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) has emerged in recent years as a framework to understand the nature of places in which entrepreneurial activity flourishes. Spigel (2017) defines entrepreneurial ecosystems as follows: ‘combinations of social, political, economic, and cultural elements within a region that support the development and growth of innovative start-ups and encourage nascent entrepreneurs and other actors to take the risks of starting, funding, and otherwise assisting high-risk ventures. In this regard, the areas that this paper wishes to address are; the degree to which existing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Latvia is prosocial; the role of existing dominant actors in the existing entrepreneurial eco-system in Latvia towards enabling pro-social entrepreneurship ventures; and the challenges that the existing NGOs and social enterprises are facing in their interaction with the larger eco-system. In this conceptual paper, theory and qualitative methods of data analysis, i-e interviews have been conducted to elaborate the findings. Scholars, entrepreneurs and public policy makers whom examine regional or national entrepreneurial ecosystems will have an insight towards the institution of a pro-social eco-system culture towards increased entrepreneurial activity with subsequent poverty alleviation, job creation and a larger regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) in assessing the evolution of agricultural holdings and their contribution to the national economy in Latvia. Although a significant number of previous studies performed a statistical, econometric and comparative analysis of figures extracted from the FADN database, there is still a dearth of research on the importance of the FADN and its integral elements for the provision of detailed and reliable information required for sustainable development, early adoption and change of agricultural policy at national level and across the EU. This paper fills this gap in the literature by giving an insight into challenges the SUDAT - a national component of the FADN - faces in Latvia, its differences from the system operated by the Central Statistical Bureau and dependence on the Farm Structure Survey. The paper adopts a mixed-method approach by integrating and interpreting the results of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the particularities of accounting system that serves as the main source of data for analyzing and managing small farm performance in Latvia. Although the topic of accounting in small companies has already been discussed in the literature, there is still a dearth of research on challenges faced by small agricultural holdings. The paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature by providing an insight into highly unsophisticated systems for aggregating and processing data used by some small farms. These mechanisms occasionally fail to provide reasonably accurate and up-to-date information for costing that is an essential pre-requisite for successful control over the efficiency of agricultural production. The study also highlights the contribution of the SUDAT - a component of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network in Latvia - to improving the quality of decision-making by small farms. The paper adopts a mixed-method approach by integrating the results of quantitative and qualitative data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the paper is to investigate the possibilities of applying the laser scanning method for overhead power transmission line monitoring in Latvia conditions. Today, in various sectors of the national economy, infrastructure monitoring takes an important place in the overall management of the system. It also plays an essential role in electric power, especially in maintaining overhead power transmission lines. Realizing the possibilities of digital development, the monitoring of power lines is more often performed by applying different remote sensing methods. The study examined and compared several remote sensing methods used for power line monitoring, however, the laser scanning method from an unmanned aerial vehicle was recognized as more optimal in Latvia conditions. Main conclusions are that for the application of remote sensing methods for overhead power line monitoring, it is initially necessary to find out the initial data about the power line. In the study included power line A-24 is mainly made up of I-type wooden supports. Also deforestation of the protective strip of the A-24 power line is required in several places, by removing the entire tree and/or bush, but in some cases, only the removal of a specific branch is sufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, biotechnology has provided a motor for environmentally sustainable production and for the development of a diverse range of innovative products. The potential economic and environmental benefits of biotechnology have created a growing strategic interest in bioeconomy. Bioeconomy combines highly research and knowledge intensive economic activities in agriculture, forestry and the food sector with the innovative use of renewable raw materials for material and energy use. This paper aims to study the potential for the further development of bio-based sectors in Latvia and main challenges the development of innovations in bioeconomy faces in Latvia and Baltic Sea Region countries. In this study, the authors have analyzed current situation in Latvia regarding bioeconomy development and have identified innovations fostering sustainable use of natural resources. The research finds out that bioeconomy innovations in the traditional biobased sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, renewable energies, food and feed, pulp and paper, goes in line with the principles of sustainable development and thus it effects development of sustainable use of natural resources. This paper reviews the support systems for innovations in bioeconomy in EU and Latvia and studies the potential for the further development of bio-based sectors in Latvia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commonly the intensification of agricultural practices is regarded not only as one of the established techniques for achieving agricultural and food independence but also as the key instrument for alleviating world hunger. Despite its considerable potential, intensification has become a controversial topic that attracts particular interest due to its substantial negative impact on greenhouse gas emissions, biological diversity and natural habitats. This paper aims to explore and compare the degree of intensification of agricultural practices followed by farms of different economic sizes and specialization in the Baltic States. Although the development of more environmentally friendly practices, including agro-ecological and organic agriculture, has already been explored, there is still a dearth of a comparative analysis of the recent trends in farming intensity across Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature by examining changes over the years since the Baltic States’ accession to the EU in 2004. Our calculations are based on statistical data collected by the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) that are adjusted for inflation and input price fluctuations using Eurostat and national price indices of the means of agricultural production. By revealing a nuanced picture of the prevailing trends in the national agricultural sectors, this study avoids the oversimplification of the Baltic farmers’ actual modus operandi. Research findings show that farming intensity varies among agricultural holdings that have successfully adopted a wide range of flexible approaches by pragmatically combining a conventional mode with more environmentally friendly practices of farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ever-growing importance of resource conservation and sustainable lifestyle, people are searching for new, alternative solutions that will enable a more sustainable use of resources. Because energy production is one of the most pollution-intensive industries, a major factor is renewable energy, which reduces the amount of industry pollution and facilitates sustainable use of resources. One of the sustainable energy resources are Salix and the wood chips produced from them, which are used in energy production at cogeneration plants. The quick-growing nature of Salix make Salix wood chips a valid alternative for fossil energy resources. The objective of this paper is to research the economic opportunities for planting and developing Salix fields in Latvia. The paper analyses the theoretical aspects of renewable energy industry, and the growing and utilization of Salix. The research part focuses on analysing Salix fields in Latvia, calculating the economic gross margin per one hectare of Salix fields with a 25-year life cycle and a 3-year harvesting period on the basis of the gross margin models, developing a MET matrix to discover the environmental impact of Salix growing, as well as surveying Salix growers regarding the cultivation, utilisation and future potential of Salix. The research concludes that Salix growing is an economically viable process. Planting material costs account for the majority of the initial expenses, but this investment is fully returned by the third harvest. The greatest impact on the environment and climate is caused by land cultivation, with toxic materials as the main contributor. According to Salix growers, this is an economically viable field if making use of non-agricultural land and cultivating large areas to reduce machinery costs. The future potential of Salix growing is substantiated by the cogeneration stations in Latvia which are in need of fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The case is considered when at the Koknese district in Latvia the hydrogeological situation for dolomite excavation quarries is heterogeneous. The place geological build is complex and the quarries are situated close to large surface water bodies represented by the Daugava river and by the Urgu reservoir. The depression cones of the quarries were obtained by using the local hydrogeological model (HM). The primary data for creating the local HM were provided by the regional HM of Latvia LAMO4. The Groundwater Vistas 7 (GV) system was applied to run HM. The original method for obtaining the depression cone was used. It did not applied any data on the undisturbed and disturbed (active quarries) groundwater heads To obtain the depression cone, the quarry drawdown was applied as the boundary condition. The quarry depression cones are unsymmetrical, especially explicitly, for the quarries that are situated beside the Urgu reservoir. Interdependence of the quarries was estimated. The impact of groundwater sources in supporting the quarry drainage flow was found. The flow was supported mainly by the Daugava river (~50%) and the Urgu reservoir (~80%). The drainage flow for the related uniform situation was considerably smaller and it was supported by the flow through the HM border. The results considered in the paper may be useful for specialists dealing with obtaining of depression cones when conditions of a place are heterogeneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the degree of intensification and extensification of agricultural practices followed by farms of different economic sizes and the type of farming in Latvia. While intensification is considered as an effective way of achieving agricultural independence at supra-national and national levels, more voices are raised against an increasing demand for energy and unsustainable agricultural activities causing irreparable damage to natural habitats and reducing biological diversity. Although farming intensity has become a high-profile topic and attracted not only great interest of scholars and the general public but also attention of environmental protection organizations, national governments and the EU, there is still a dearth of research on the latest trends in farming intensity in Latvia. This paper attempted to fill this gap in the literature by examining the extent to which agricultural production has become more or less intensified over the years since Latvia’s accession to the EU in 2004. A statistical analysis was based on data obtained from the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). A lack of data on farms of certain size and type like horticulture, granivores and other permanent crops was the most important limitation that made a comprehensive analysis of the agricultural production problematic. While on average the intensity of production has remained the same, agricultural practices became more intense on farms growing fieldcrops and dairy farms. In comparison with farms of mixed type where the average degree of intensification remained the same, there was a downward trend towards extensification on farms cultivating other grazing livestock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Latvia, as in the other Baltic States, the rate of compulsory state social insurance contributions (SSIAI) for employee insurance is divided between the employer and the employee, with merely the proportion of the distribution differing. Self-employed persons, on the other hand, pay contributions for themselves in full amount, but the types of insurance and the procedure for calculating contributions differ in all three countries. Consequently, the level of social security of the self-employed also differs. The authors define two problems in Latvia related to social insurance for self-employed persons: 1) high burden of social contributions in relation to income; 2) insufficient social security, which reduces the willingness of the self-employed person to make mandatory social insurance contributions. The authors of the paper set the following goal – studying the Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian state social insurance for the self-employed persons, and evaluating the main problems and benefits in each country. The following aspects were researched and carried out during the paper research: 1) statistics on self-employed persons in each of the Baltic States were studied; 2) the understanding of the term "selfemployed person" in regulatory enactments was compared; 3) a comparative analysis of the social insurance system for the self-employed was performed; 4) the positive experience of neighbouring countries has been defined in order to assess what Latvia could take over in the field of social insurance for the self-employed persons. The study uses the monographic method, as well as scientific induction and deduction, and statistical analysis. As a result of the research, it has been established that among the Baltic States, Latvia has the highest rate of social insurance contributions, as well as the amount of contributions or the burden on the self-employed with low income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a substantial deficit in proteins of plant origin in the EU countries – the selfsufficiency level in feed use of soybean meal, which is one of the best plant protein sources, reaches only 5%. It causes the EU to import large quantities of soybeans (~14 million tonnes) and soybean meal (~18 million tonnes), the majority of which comes from Argentina and Brazil, resulting in very long soya delivery chain and associated GHG emissions from its transportation. At the same time, different statistical data confirm the growth tendency in the EU soya production – the area under soya in the EU-28 countries was 971 thousand ha in 2018, compared to 438 thousand ha in 2010, also the total production of soybean meal from EU soybeans has doubled. The interest in the production of local GMO-free soya has been growing also in Latvia, indicating the potential to shorten the soybean meal delivery chain in Latvia. Furthermore, there is a political support for the development of the growing of protein crops in the EU. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the environmental benefits arising from the growing of soya in Latvia with respect to the potential GHG emission reduction due to shorter delivery chain. The environmental benefits are evaluated by assessing the CO2 emissions from maritime transport and their external cost. Typical sea distance between South America and Rotterdam and between Rotterdam and Riga is used to asses the emissions from maritime transport. The emissions are assessed based on the estimated average emissions per tonne-kilometre. The results of the study imply that the environmental benefits from shortening the delivery chain are sufficient to consider it as a feasible option for dealing with the GHG emissions in transport sector. The findings of the research outline the environmental benefits not only for Latvia but also for the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests and the land where the forests grow are some of the key natural resources in Latvia. Forests occupy half of the total area of Latvia. Unlike other countries where deforestation is a problem, the forest area increases in Latvia owing to natural and artificial afforestation activities. The paper analysed changes in the reforested and afforested areas in Latvia in the period 2007-2017 and found that the most essential factors contributing to the reforestation and afforestation were national and European Union financial support, the requirements of the relevant legal framework and amendments to it, economic processes in the country as well as educational measures targeting forest owners. A correlation analysis revealed that the most essential socioeconomic factors that were strongly related to the reforested and afforested areas were as follows: (1) output of products of wood and cork per employee, as well as the value of output and the turnover of the sector; (2) exports of forest industry products from Latvia; (3) GDP per employee; (4) number of employees engaged in manufacture of furniture; (5) number of construction enterprises and the volume of construction. Based on the correlation analysis results, the research constructed three regression equations to be employed to explain changes and forecast trends in the following types of forest area: (1) artificially reforested area; (2) naturally reforested area; (3) afforested plantation area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Latvia, many of recent cultural activities have been established and developed as a response to decreasing of economic activities as well as shrinking processes of population and institutions in rural territories. The aim of the paper is to analyse the development strategies of five planning regions of Latvia in order to examine the role of cultural resources and activities in terms of regional development. The paper consists of the theoretical review of culture-led strategies as well as the content analysis of actual planning strategies of five planning regions of Latvia. Qualitative approach of content analysis is used in the examination of current planning documents of regional development. The main results of the research reveal that culture in itself is considered an important part of regional development, however, more in terms of entertainment and consumerism. Cultural resources are seen as attractive resource for tourist attraction and making environment appealing for the creative class. Rebirth of old crafts and products is highlighted as a significant part of culture-led strategies. Relatively higher level of the usage of cultural resources is described in a planning region where culture is seen as an integrated part of economic, environmental and social activities. The analysis of the institutionalization of culture-led strategies in planning documents in Latvia helps to understand both regional policies and social processes in regions. The usage of culture-led strategies varies from mechanical and likely isolated approach to an integrated and systemic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify opportunities for the development of the bioeconomy in Latvia, assessing its role in the development of the agricultural sector. Nowadays, the development and sustainability of natural resources are of great importance. The bioeconomy can be considered as one of the oldest sectors of the economy, which life sciences and biotechnology can transform into one of the most modern sectors of the economy. From a number of perspectives, one of Latvia's development opportunities is the more sustainable and efficient use of natural resources. The bioeconomy provides a combined approach to integrating knowledge-based economic growth, social welfare and environmental protection in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, respecting the principles of the circular economy. The aim of this paper is to provide information on a study carried out to investigate and analyse the development perspectives of the bioeconomy and organic farming in Latvia. The research methodology includes theoretical concepts and a framework of factors influencing the bioeconomy. The study uses the Delphi method, collects data from expert interviews and surveys, uses the Porter's hypothesis method, and analyses the competitiveness of organic farming enterprises in Latvia based on Porter's five forces method. The development of the bioeconomy is mainly related to the production and efficient processing of bioresources. Rural areas and regions are therefore the ones with the greatest potential for development. Research data show that the growth of the bioeconomy will contribute to the development of Latvia's rural areas and regions and that Latvian organic farming enterprises have great potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for secure and reliable applications will increase due to the growing necessity for sustainably and independently produced energy. For example, the amount of energy generated by individuals at their homes will probably grow fast in the near future so requiring for easy-to-use and precise solutions. To transform and facilitate the processes related to energy sector it is possible to use blockchain technology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and analyse different areas of blockchain application in the renewable energy sector. Using content, SWOT and PESTLE analysis, the results show that the main strengths and opportunities are confidentiality, immutability of recordings and potential involvement of each individual, while weaknesses and threats - scalability, compatibility and legal framework. Latvia is already using more (42.1%) renewable energy than in the European Union on average (22.1%) but in order to meet the binding targets for the Member States by 2030, the blockchain technology could promote development in this sector. The results of the study improves the scientific opinion on blockchain technology in sustainable energy field by identifying potential implementation benefits and challenges; thus, gathering the knowledge for easier moving towards real-life implementations and also highlighting the areas with the need for specific further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work arrangements constantly change, as the interest of individuals in greater flexibility in relation to their work arrangements increases. Remote jobs in Latvia become increasingly popular with the advancement of information technologies and the increasing wish of individuals for flexible working hours. Productive remote work is possible only by means of modern information and communication technologies. The research aim is to characterise the types of employment and identify the opinions of external relations specialists on performing their job responsibilities remotely by using modern communication technologies and devices at public sector organisations. The main task of the paper is to analyse sources of information on remote employment and opportunities for working remotely in external relations departments. The present research employed the following methods: document analysis, partially structured interviews. The research results have revealed that an external relations specialist could perform at least half of the job responsibilities remotely, while such a job requires also in-person communication; therefore, a remote job cannot fully replace the conventional kinds of work arrangement at offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although intensification of agricultural practices is traditionally viewed as one of the quickest way of achieving food independence, the increasing demand for energy and unsustainable development of agriculture are detrimental to natural habitats and decrease biological diversity. Organic farming offers a viable alternative and has the potential to facilitate the gradual expansion of environmentally friendly technologies. By carrying out the analysis of statistical data on the value of organic production obtained from the national Agricultural Data Centre and the EU Economic Accounts for Agriculture (EAA), this paper aims to explore the recent trends in the development of organic farming practices in Latvia. Although from 2015 to 2019 the percentage of the value of organic production in the total output had increased almost 2 times, there were significant differences across a variety of organic farming products. The highest percentage was made up by buckwheat, oats and some industrial crops (e.g., medicinal herbs and spices), fruit and berries. In the livestock breeding sector, organic farming was particularly widespread across sheep, goat (incl. goat milk), rabbit, horse and deer breeding farms as well as in beekeeping. In contrast, the cultivation of organic products was unpopular among specializations like poultry (fresh meat and eggs) and pig farming. Despite a remarkable progress and a continuously growing importance of organic farming in Latvia, its proportion in the total output of agricultural activities remains relatively low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If the place hydrogeological conditions are uniform (invariable aquifer transmissivity, no impact of hydrogeological network) then the quarry depression cone and the pumping rate for the quarry draining can be obtained by using analytical methods. The dolomite aquifer at the Iecava district in Latvia included large impervious areas. Due to this fact, appliance of analytical methods cannot give the right depression cone. The local hydrogeological model (HM) was applied for obtaining the depression cone of the dolomite excavation quarry. The Groundwater Vistas (GV) system was used for running HM. For obtaining the depression cone, the original method was applied. To carry out the method, the fixed head boundary conditions on the HM area borderline were changed to the zero value. The only non-zero boundary condition for obtaining the depression cone was the quarry drawdown. It was found out that because of the dolomite aquifer irregular permeability, the cone depression isoline contours, including the borderline, were considerably deformed in comparison with the circles for the related uniform aquifer. The quarry drainage flow was considerably smaller than the one for the uniform aquifer. The results reported in the paper may be useful for specialists dealing with obtaining of depression cones for heterogeneous aquifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general theme of the paper is the study of pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) content, instruments and stakeholders in order to design PEB enhancement preconditions at the local municipal actor’s level. The research-and-development (R&D) framework approach was used applying case study research methodology, including document studies, PEB household survey, observation and main stakeholder’s interviews, seminars, what was organized in two local medium size urban/rural municipalities in Latvia - rural Salacgriva municipality and urban Valmiera city municipality, both already having/approaching municipal Environmental Declarations. The study concluded that even there are to be seen a wide diversity and number of PEB actions, both thematic content practice type and instrumental type, and, at all the municipal segments of stakeholders, being designed locally or taken from outside national/international practice, there is not only more PEB options and resources for all segments interaction directly or, importantly, via targeted involvement of the public environment, but also available instrumental background for mutual benefits of both, top-down and bottom-up, interaction approaches. For the time being existent PEB potential is partly used and there shall be taken care of limited PEB planning and management capacities as well as missing PEB system framework and methodological guidelines from national level. In this relation action-oriented collaboration communication frame, combining all four its complementary instruments, have been positively recognized and strongly recommended for further active local PEB enhancement – starting by PEB information as further complemented by PEB education/training and also PEB enhancing public participatory type activities, are directly facilitating PEB action design and development, even already developed PEB practice cases also do require comprehensive use of those communication instruments for the next PEB development stages. Approaching the building of municipal PEB governance system, there is to be taken into account three basic governance dimensions – stakeholder segments, governance content and instruments for PEB, what’s to be complemented by action-oriented environmental communication frame, altogether recognized as PEB enhancement preconditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized by scholars and experts on international and European Union (EU) level that the waste management and waste reduction are important resource. Turning waste into a resource is an essential part of resource efficiency and boosts a circular economy. Food waste is a serious global issue, which linked to environmental, economic and social impacts. In EU wide accepted is the new paradigm circular economy, in which main accent is given on prevention and significant reduction of waste. The bio-waste, particularly food waste, is recognised as a resource, which should be effectively re-used and recycled. The purpose of research presented in this paper and the consequent first task is to evaluate the current situation of municipal (bio waste) management in Latvia and to identify the main constraints for the achieving waste related targets, which have set on global and EU level. Taking into account that the households besides the food services and retail are significant generators of the food waste in the developed countries, the second task has been set - to evaluate the Latvian households' attitudes and behaviour regarding to the food waste (bio-waste). For solving the second task the questionnaire survey was performed and the data from a survey of nationally representative households as the respondents was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyses the reception of the Irish-born British writer Oscar Wilde (1854- 1900) in Latvia following the translations of his works into Latvian and the most vivid expressions in Latvian authors' creative writing. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the poetics of cross-cultural influences in Latvia was very diverse: one of the most striking being the aesthetic vector marked by the crucial influence of Wilde's personality and his literary heritage. The dialogue held between Latvian national and foreign cultures served not only as a means for the nation's self-realization, but developed also a new understanding of the role of art. The research is based on the reception theory that interprets literature as a process of aesthetic communication the participants of which are three logically distinguishable entities - author, text, and recipient (reader, critic, audience) - attributing to the last one the status of both receiver and mediator. Using a complex of research methods (comparative, cultural-historical, biographical, structural-semiotic), the main attention in the paper is paid to the ways of accumulation of a foreign text focusing also on the readiness of the target (Latvian) culture to receive the novel influences by the specific author (Oscar Wilde) and to integrate them in one's own (Latvian) cultural space. Based on "foreignization" and "domestication" (L. Venuti) strategies in intercultural translation any text is regarded as an open structure and a continuous process of its perception, thus a productive cognition takes place (H. R. Jauss). As a result of intercultural communication between foreign literature and/or its famous mythologized representative and a domestic literature, modifications in recipients' attitudes, behaviours, and creative writing in different time periods (a chronological review of reception) are observed. The research allowed concluding that infatuation with Wilde's ideas in Latvia never ceased and the reception occurs under the influence of two parallel flows: 1) in the discourse related to cultural and literary elitism - Symbolism and Modernism (a novel, plays); 2) as a component of mass literature (fairytales and other stories for children and youth). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobility along with housing and food are mayor household consumption clusters and the main driving forces of environmental impact. The need for transportation and importance of mobility for entrepreneurship and households has risen in the past decades. Even though transportation conveys socioeconomic benefits, it also has significant environmental, social and economic costs. Therefore, there is an exigent need to promote behavior change, and, when it comes to transport, it means, promotion of modal shift, use of eco-friendlier modes and reduction of driving where relevant. The aim of this research is to create a snapshot of current household mobility patterns, factors influencing those patterns as well as mobility related behavior intentions in Latvia from the perspective of sustainable mobility. The study mostly focuses on those sustainable mobility aspects that can be directly influenced by household behaviors, i.e., modal shift. Because there has been little research on this particular subject conducted in Latvia, this study gives valuable insights into existing mobility patterns. This study is based on the data acquired from a representative national survey (n=1009), also covering the capital city Riga, and two surveys carried out in regional center towns - Liepaja and Valmiera (n=361; n=373). The research behind this paper was conducted at the University of Latvia within the framework of the SUSTINNO National grant project that covers various aspects of pro-environmental behavior, including mobility. The research shows that even though Latvia is among the leading EU nations in the use of public transport, the decrease of public transport units and the constant increase of private cars over the last years is not in line with the policy objectives for sustainable transportation adopted both at the national and municipal level according to survey results, most of the respondents use their private car for daily commuting; however, the small distances could be easily travelled by public transport or cycled. The most important factors hindering the pro-environmental shift towards more sustainable mobility are a lack of habit, possible impact on social status, laziness and the need to sacrifice certain conveniences. At the same time, people report readiness to change their mobility patterns - choosing public transport, cycling or walking or buying a more eco - efficient vehicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Final energy consumption in Latvian households fluctuated massively because of serious political and social changes in the country between 1990 and 2015; this study explores why final energy consumption trends in Latvia during the last decades, meanwhile in Europe is the opposite situation observed. This paper investigates the downward trend in average household energy consumption of the last 30 years and shows the impact of social factors towards energy consumption. The method applied portrays factors such as level of education, age, income, social status, the size of leaving the area, region, the number of persons per dwelling, etc. There was conducted the social survey with 1009 respondents overall territory of Latvia and for data comparison, some additional data was extracted from the data set of quantitative energy statistics. The findings from the research illustrate that despite a decrease in the number and the average size of dwellings; plus increased use of electronics, improvements in social education, energy efficiency for heating and major appliances have all led to decreased energy consumption per household. The findings from the research show that the impact of education, age, and income on energy consumption is more complex than previously assumed. The findings show that in terms of energy consumption human factor's roles and effects are difficult to forecast due to multifarious interactions between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents results of studies devoted to assess the role of social capital and its relation to innovations, including social innovations, and development, particularly in rural areas. As an example of an indicator or category of social capital and innovation, the development of cooperatives in rural areas has been evaluated. Moreover, the benefits (i.e. for farmers, consumers and society) of rural, especially agricultural, cooperatives are estimated. Besides, the nature and impact of state support for agricultural cooperatives via Common Agriculture Program are also estimated. Furthermore, cooperation activities among cooperatives are characterized. It is concluded that creation of social capital can support various innovations in several ways; and the different dimensions of social capital might influence innovative activity. Moreover, the innovation is an important source, which benefits rural areas' well-being and economic growth. Findings show the statistically significant growth of cooperatives' net turnover, as well as growth of local food chains and innovative forms of food supply to the consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 21st century, the competitive advantage of many successful companies is great employees who work remotely. However, so far this has not been a common practice in companies in Latvia. Today, remote collaboration is a reality and often an economic asset provided by the World Wide Web. However, business leaders often are indecisive between remote and onsite teams to performing a given task. The events that started in the beginning of 2020 showed an extraordinary transition from onsite work to working remotely, consequently, also changed the basic principles of team management. The purpose of this paper is to explore aspects of influencing habits and the risks that organizations in Latvia faced while working in an unforeseen remote-working emergency. Tasks of the study were to be explored on the basis of the review of scientific sources and study tendencies on team leadership and related risks in Latvian organizations in emergency remote work mode. For this particular study, the focus group is selected as the most appropriate data collection method for high-quality research. To find out individuals' opinions and attitudes two focus group discussions were carried out. Members from various industries and with different employment periods were included in discussion groups. In aggregate, opinions of the employees from 17 different companies were summarized regarding the aspects affecting the work of the organization and team management in emergency remote work mode. The research showed that the biggest problem in managing employees who work remotely is the reduction of communication channels and the resulting risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Latvia joined the European Union (hereinafter the EU) in 2004, socio-economic territorial development in the regions of the country has been unbalanced, increasing regional disparities. At NUTS3 level, there are six statistical regions in Latvia. Zemgale is one of the regions of Latvia. Since 1992, two administrative and territorial reforms (hereinafter ATR) have been implemented in Latvia, and in 2021 it is planned to carry out the third administrative and territorial reform. In June 2020, the new ATR was approved by the government. Before the ATR, Zemgale region consisted of 22 territorial units: two cities under state jurisdiction and 20 municipalities. After the ATR, Zemgale region will consist of five municipalities and two cities under state jurisdiction. The territorial border of Zemgale region will not be changed. The socio-economic comparison led to a conclusion that the administrative territories created as a result of the ATR could not become more prosperous in the future under the current conditions and with their current potential in order to eliminate the territorial disparities. Research methods. The research employed general research methods, statistical analysis, logical construction as well as analysis and synthesis. The research period: indicators for Zemgale region in the period 2010-2019. The sources of information used: specialised economic literature, research documents and scientific conference papers, EU regulatory documents, laws of the Republic of Latvia, the National Regional Development Agency’s RDIM database and Central Statistical Bureau data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of community resilience in rural areas comprises the idea of sustainability, ability to adapt or resist new conditions and external influences and to turn possible risks into opportunities. In order to reduce degradation of rural areas and to preserve rural environment and natural resources, rural communities need to be active in setting priorities, decision making and purposeful realization of initiatives. The LEADER program is an important instrument supporting local initiatives to strengthen community resilience through preservation and development of rural areas. The aim of the paper is to analyse community initiatives of the LEADER partnership projects within a context of preservation of natural resources. Content analysis was used as a research method; data on partnership projects in Latvia were obtained via publicly available information on the LEADER projects implemented since 2009. Projects directly (e.g. river cleaning, ecosystem conservation, refurbishment of treatment plants) and indirectly (e.g. community activities that improve accessibility and educate people about biodiversity) linked to the preservation of natural local resources were identified. The authors conclude that community activities for the preservation of natural resources can be seen as a system that focuses on the rational interaction between local human activities and the environment, seeking to ensure the integrity of specific natural sites and participation in both restoration and rational use of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, eco-innovation represents a tool for vitalizing the circular economy – an urgent problem – both at the global as well as at the national level. Eco-innovation is the key to the future competitiveness of any country that contributes to the circular economy and a sustainable future while also promoting environmental protection and more efficient use of resources. Eco-innovations are implemented in all Member States, sectors and markets of the European Union, yet the intensity of this activity is still insufficient. In Latvia, too, the intensity of eco-innovation is low. Therefore, the research aims to identify eco-innovation performance in Latvia and correlations between the factors affecting it. To achieve the aim, the following research methods were employed: monographic, statistical analysis and quantitative and qualitative analysis. Information sources used: specific economic literature, published research papers, scientific conference proceedings from databases: EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus, as well as the European Union’s legal acts and directives, statistical data from Eurostat, the OECD and other international institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have recognized that e-commerce can have a positive impact on business, making enterprises work faster, more efficient and more economical. Taking into account political initiatives by the EU Member States towards digitalization, it is important to analyse the factors contributing to the development of the e-commerce, so decisionmakers can develop the scenarios accordingly. Purpose of the study is to analyse the factors contributing to the development of the ecommerce proposing the scenarios towards development of the e-commerce in SME sector in Latvia. The tasks of the study: 1) to review theoretical background of factors contributing to the development of the ecommerce; 2) to analyse the results of conducted expert survey in context of factors contributing to the development of the e-commerce in the SME sector in Latvia; 3) to develop scenarios and recommendations towards development of e-commerce in the SME sector in Latvia. Research methods used in preparation of the paper: scientific publication and previous conducted research results analysis, analysis of the results of the expert survey using AHP method. The AHP analysis showed that the best scenario for e-commerce development in the SME sector in Latvia is following “The state authorities develop policies and invest in educational activities, educating business leaders and employees about e-commerce opportunities and benefits, technological opportunities and the need for digital transformation”. Following factors such as “Educational Opportunities”, “Leadership”, “Employee Competence” and “Readiness to Accept Innovation” should be considered the most while implementing this scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Majority of world inhabitants are living in cities as well as many inhabitants in Latvia choose to move to cities to look for wellfare. Living in a city with a high density of buildings, cars, and factories, the risk of air pollution increases. Air pollution from the transport, industry, and energy sectors affect the health of the urban population. In cities, air is often contaminated with dust containing various chemical elements, including heavy metals, which, even in low concentrations, can be hazardous to human health. The aim of the study is to determine the distribution of heavy metals in the urban air as well as the relation of heavy metal concentration to anthropogenic point and nonpoint pollution sources. In winter 2019, 183 snow samples were collected in 61 different locations in the city of Jelgava to determine concentrations of various heavy metals in the city and to cover all possible urban areas: residential, industrial, high-rise, and more. In study, distribution of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) are analyzed in the urban environment. ICP-OES spectrometer "iCAP 7000" is used for the analysis of snow samples. In the first analysis step, samples are acidified with 1% HNO3. In the second step, the sample is hold for three days. In the third step, the sample is filtered through a paper filter and further analyzed with the "iCAP 7000". The spatial interpolation and the mapping methods were performed using ArcGIS 10.3. The IDW spatial interpolation method build in ArcGIS 10.3 based on relationship between sampling sites and concentrations was used in the study. The spatial results show that Jelgava has inhomogeneous distribution of heavy metals in the air, where the highest concentrations were found near the source of anthropogenic pollution. The highest observed concentrations of heavy metals are: Cu 12.5 (μg/l), Ni 4.4 (μg/l), Pb 72.3 (μg/l), Mn 73.0 (μg/l), Zn 204.5 (μg/l). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of increasing concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus, surface water chemical pollution and eutrophication is a problem of raising concern worldwide. Chemical quality of surface water gives an impression about different geochemical, geological, hydrological and biological processes, as well as intensity of anthropogenic load in river catchment area. The total length of Svete River is 123 kilometres, of which 75 kilometres are in the territory of Latvia. Main part of river’s drainage basin is occupied by drained arable lands, only in the downstream of Svete River the main territory is occupied by forests and on the right side Jelgava city is located. Largest tributaries of Svete River are Tervete River, Auce River, Berze River and Vilce River. The aim of this research was to carry out water quality monitoring and to develop historical and actual pollution map. When choosing monitoring points, information from "Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre" Polluted and potentially polluted location register was taken into consideration. Monitoring points were chosen to identify pollution leakage of main incoming flows. The water sample was taken from water depth 2 to 5 centimetres to avoid any floating dust, oils, surface active substances and other elements. Samples were taken in 16 monitoring points during a one year period once a month. Assessment of water quality of taken samples was carried out under laboratory conditions using a multi parameter Aquaprobe AP-7000 (pH; dissolved oxygen, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, total nitrogen) and analysing samples using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) method (P, As; Zn, Cu; Cr; Mn; Pb; V; Ni; Al; Fe). Using ICP-OES method, firstly the samples were acidified to 1% HNO3, aged for 3 days and filtered through paper filter. The results of one year monitoring results show good water quality of Svete River, however there is total nitrogen leaching 1.1 kilotons per year and phosphorus 9 tons per year. The recommendations are to reduce the amounts of decentralised sewage water systems and to reduce diffuse pollution from agricultural fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate in Latvia is moderately warm and humid. To provide optimal groundwater heads (levels) for plant and tree growth, agricultural and forest melioration systems (AMS and FMS) have been set up in many places. Reconstruction of the FMS “Zamelu-Tisu mezs” will be carried out. To assess the reconstruction impact, hydrogeological and hydrological conditions in and around the FMS territory were studied. To accomplish this task, specialists of Riga Technical University for the study area developed and used the local hydrogeological model (HM). HM included natural hydrographic network elements (4 rivers and 2 brooks) and drainage ditches (11 AM and FM ditches and 306 FMS ditches). The aeration zone thickness maps, which characterize FMS performance, were obtained. FMS territory was divided into areas, where the drainage runoff before and after the system reconstruction was calculated. It was found out in which areas reconstruction will provide the best effect. Changes caused by FMS in hydrographical network flows were estimated. The modeling methodology and results explained in this paper may be useful for professionals designing large melioration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Ropazu district at Latvia, a set of dolomite excavation quarries is located. Because the quarries must by drained by pumping out groundwater, depression cones appear in the quarry areas and around them. The research targets were investigation of the interaction between the quarries, evaluation of adverse changes caused by them in the groundwater regimes of the nature reserve wetland area «Lielie Kangari» and in flows of hydrographical network. The research was carried out by applying the hydrogeological model (HM) that was run by the system Groundwater Vistas 6. The quarries were simulated by using their toughest working conditions (maximal areas and depths for a long time excavation without interruptions). It was found out that due to appearance of artificial lakes in flooded areas of abandoned quarries, the interaction between the working quarries has considerably decreased. The quarries which are situated near the reserved wetland area and a small river can worsen their natural regimes. The methodology and results reported in the paper may be useful for specialists dealing with estimation of adverse effects that can be caused by mineral excavation quarries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfills (dumps) are places where the end of the life cycle of products can be found - useful material is dumped away from the sight creating contaminant flows around. Another problem is huge unexplored potential of resources recycling - we have limited knowledge also on useful elements and materials that are buried. The solution to overcome the limitations that provide remote sensing and traditional geodesy, proximal sensing techniques could be used. “Near surface geophysics” with operation at or just below the soil surface, significantly may contribute to give answers that traditionally are solved only after excavation. Geophysical methods are various, those can be active (i.e. create its own signal) or passive (i.e. register an existing signal); invasive (by inserting devices into the soil) or non-destructive. Some of these methods are static (e.g. a sequence of inserted electrodes), others can be used in a mobile way (e.g. pulled by a quad-bike). In general, their depth of exploration can vary from a few decimetres to some tens of metres. Thus in range of wide geophysical methodology spectrum almost all methods might be of use for unknown dump exploration depending on circumstances. In this paper, the aim is to macro-characterize anthropogenic geomorphological forms for contouring of old buried dumps by use of magnetometry, and geoelectric research methods to provide knowledge on approximate content of the dump. Protonmagnetometer was used in Eastern Latvia to determine unseen on surface dumpsite, buried in forest; induced polarisation and electric resistivity research was done in Southern Sweden for the macro-content analysis of dump hills composed of glass industry residuals and construction waste mixture. Geophysical surveying was performed to support site investigation with respect to landfill-related environmental problems, to enhance the opportunity for contouring of location of material mass and initially evaluate its physical properties. Results have shown good potential of geophysical surveying to spatially characterize landfill masses (location and dimensions) and to identify the internal structure of a landfill site, which already provides valuable information to estimate the landfill mining (material recovery) potential of landfills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study considers the interrelations between the personality of a socially and politically active writer and literary and cultural processes in the country. To analyse literary processes in a wider historical and cultural context the cultural-historical view on literature was applied; in its turn, to examine the writer’s place within the overall cultural milieu and to determine the interaction of the author’s writings and his era the elements of the biographical method were used. In Latvia, the Russian and Soviet writer Maxim Gorky (1868-1936) was well known since the beginning of the 20th century. During the First Russian Revolution (1905-1907) he spent some time in Riga and Jurmala. Before the First World War (1914-1918) he actively corresponded with some Latvian writers; as a result, in 1916, the Collection of Latvian literature was published. M. Gorky was responsible for selection and publication of prosaic texts. In general, M. Gorky was an authority for left-wing writers. When in the 1940s Latvia was annexed within the Soviet Union, to propagate the socialist ideas and further the process of Sovietisation propagandists relied on postulates formulated by M. Gorky. Being a political activist and an implementor of Soviet ideology he emphasized the role of literature in forming and educating the Soviet people and insisted on interrelation of socio-politics and literary texts. Soviet ideologists relied on M. Gorky when instilling and fostering a negative opinion on capitalism in public. The specific focus of the paper is on the influence M. Gorky had on Latvian literary processes before the 1940s and coverage of M. Gorky’s personality and views in printed media of Soviet Latvia in the 1940s as precisely at that time, an ideologeme of ‘Rotting West’ was intensively propagated in the society with due regard to M. Gorky’s publicist and literary writings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Green Cities submitted the first proposal for the Green Norm. The Green Norm is a set of practical recommendations mainly for politicians, officials and urban development officials. Green cities introduce this norm as a critical strategy for competitiveness. More and more people are moving to big cities, so we must consider climate-neutral solutions as the municipalities set an example. The number of green and climate-neutral towns in Europe and Latvia has constantly been increasing over the last decade, and their competitiveness is also growing. Liepaja is one of the 112 Pioneer cities in the EU which has joined the challenge of climate-neutral cities. One way to be more climate-neutral is to reduce the consumption of pollution and resources in the municipality. Digitization of internal and external municipal services opens the way in this direction. In this study, the authors focus on digitizing the municipality's internal processes and employees' motivation to change their habits and assessing resourcesaving opportunities. The study aims to assess the readiness of municipal employees and detect weak points for the transition to complete internal process digitization to reduce the environmental impact and resource consumption. The study uses surveys and data statistical processing methods with SPSS. As a result of the study, proposals have been developed to improve employees' digital skills to increase municipal green competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mass media are important actors in the conceptualization of the problems and possible solutions related to climate change. They have an opportunity to master the agenda and formulate it not only in all importance and complexity but also in the diversity of aspects to be included for proper understanding of the climate change concept by the public. In doing so they build on existing agendas by policymakers, scholars, and other actors, but also have their agency to be exercised in all responsibility and by specific knowledge. The overall task for media is to build a consistent and coherent narrative that will serve as a base for understanding current issues. However, analysis of Latvian media shows that a vast number of publications tend to speak about climate change in general terms, without being devoted to a particular domain of issues. The results on the dynamics of publication and reach of the audience of the content can be interpreted by discerning three general groups of climate change-related issues. The first group of related issues is mentioned more in connection with political agenda (e.g. COP26). The second group of issues (emissions, green energy, carbon neutrality/decarbonization) are proposed by industries and businesses dealing with them but are rather little known to the general public. Opposite, the third group includes keywords like environmental protection, protection of nature, and natural diversity that are familiar to most people; they have a stable place but are not very popular in the content of media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the sustainability of agricultural origin bioenergy feedstocks' production, including crop biomass, in Latvia. The tasks of the study presented in this paper are: (1) to evaluate bioenergy development trends in Latvia's rural areas; (2) to investigate the impact of measures encouraging production of bioenergy, particularly agricultural origin biomass feed-stock, under the Rural Development Plan (RDP) 2007-2013; (3) to analyze the sustainability aspects of bioenergy production, evaluating the further development possibilities. Taking into account that unpublished data of Rural Support Service were analyzed, the original results of subsidies' impact (e.g. land use changes) on municipality level were obtained. Along with the benefits of bioenergy generation, such as increased carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the different negative influence caused by some types of bioenergy is also stressed. Considering that one essential sustainability criteria is ensuring the long-term supply of ecosystem services: environmental (e.g. natural ecosystems, biodiversity); social (e.g. cultural heritage, aesthetic value). Besides, the providing all kind of ecosystem services, such as, regulating services (e.g. pollination), cultural services (e.g. recreation and ecotourism) and supporting services (e.g. soil quality) guarantees sustainability of development, inter alia, bioenergy. In general the policy and supporting measures of previous RDP 2007-2013 for the development of bioenergy in the Latvia's rural areas were not sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed paper for the Conference is the research on the role of the Latvian national religion (Dievturiba) in artist's Jekabs Bine (1895-1955) life and creative work. The aim of the paper is to reveal the circumstances and qualities of this artist's language in cultural, political and historical context. An Academic-research type is used as a basic method in art and research relationship. Bine's life and work phenomenon is based on the fact, that the artist dedicated all his life and creative work to find and study the Latvian national identity, in spite of regular political regime shifts in the first half of 20th century. Being politically and socially active about sharing his national beliefs, Bine's personal character traits and success made it possible not only to escape from the Soviet repression, but also to receive international awards and recognition, as well create significant art works in Latvian history of art in the first half of 20th century. Artist Jekabs Bine was one of the founders and most active leaders of the Latvian national religious movement (Dievturiba) in the decade 1920-1930. During this time, along with the growth of national self-awareness and the realization of sovereignty in society, the awareness and revolution of national and historical values blossomed. The idea to build their own national religion, which is based on past traditions and heritage foundations, was discussed not only in Latvia, but also in Europe. Particularly, this trend was important to those countries, which had gained or regained national independence. Similar examples can be found in the other Baltic countries, where people's national awareness also awakened the national gods. Bine's paintings serve as a visual example of national religion Dievturiba efforts to revive the spirit of the Latvian deities, addressing the audience through historical Latvian symbols and signs. The artist also widely published his research and theoretical knowledge. The research includes the artist's creative experience and the working conditions in the first period of Latvian independence (1918-1940), which also includes the political regime transition from democratic parliamentary government to authoritarian in 1934, then followed by the first Soviet occupation (1940-1941), then the German occupation time (1941-1944) and the Latvian inclusion into the Soviet Union (1944). This situation raised the issues of the importance about how artist's creative activities make an impact on the environment and how the environment affects the artist's ability to create and express their creative opinions. Although the world of art is often forced into working under the guidelines and objectives of the authority, in this context the significant and actual question is what it meant for an artist who strongly believed in Latvia's identity to live and work in conditions, where the political powers were changing so often. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the opportunities of raising awareness in Latvian organisations. In today's era of technologies, information is the main driving force of business. It is necessary for every enterprise in every field of activity. Operators must be prepared to realise their own needs in order to be able to choose as exactly as possible what would be most optimal and rational for them within the great diversity of information. Tasks of the study were to explore the factors affecting the flow of internal information in Latvian organisations in order to raise internal awareness. The research was undertaken in the form of in-depth interview about the process of internal communication in Latvian companies (N=32). When studying the organisation's internal information flow, not only the level of employees' satisfaction with exchange of information should be identified. It is much more important to identify what content managers transfer to employees, in what way they do it, and what the employees' understanding of the critical issues for the company is like. Previous studies have identified that information flow is tightly linked with the people involved and the company culture. Each organisational activity is based on internal communication processes. It is very important to follow these processes and to evaluate not only their quality, but also their quantity, because it affects employees' awareness. As shown by the survey results, efficiency of the company's internal communication depends on a variety of factors. It is very essential how representatives of the senior management communicate with medium level managers, while medium level managers - with junior level managers. Internal awareness affects employees' job satisfaction and the organisation as a whole. However, the survey results revealed that an excessively large amount of information can interfere with the execution of tasks and divert from reaching the previously set target. The major contribution of this paper is an exposition on practices for raising the flow of information. Internal awareness is the basis of the company's internal cooperation and a determining factor under the circumstances of growing competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to research the real encumbrance (burden) institute in Civil Act of the Republic of Latvia to state whether this institute is archaic and should be removed from the Civil Law or whether it has strong position in nowadays commercial circulation. Methods of qualitative research were employed in the paper - comparative method, analytic method, inductive method, and deductive method. In Latvian law real encumbrance is a permanent duty attached to immovable property to repeatedly provide specified performance of money, in kind or by corvée. Nowadays there is no place for corvée and it does not exist since 19th century. The paper shows that there are some cases when the real encumbrance institute is used in nowadays. It also describes whether it is appropriate to use this historical institute for commercial relations in 21st century, as well as reveals the suggestion of the author. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to research fictitious residential property lease agreements in Latvia (which are concluded to prevent takeover of the apartments or cottages mortgaged by debtors - private persons) to provide possible solutions for this problem and to prevent such activities in future. Methods of qualitative research were employed in the paper - comparative method, analytic method, inductive method, and deductive method. Dishonest debtors (natural persons) occasionally enter into fictitious lease agreements. It is encouraged by the principle existent in Latvia - "a purchase does not override a lease". If before placing in possession or during such the fictitious tenant produces the lease agreement, the bailiff has no right to evict such tenant from the residential property. The research shows that there is possible solution for the fictitious lease agreements problem. If the solution described in the paper would be introduced, it would be useless for dishonest debtors and their relatives, friends or acquaintances to conclude fictitious lease agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]