The Area: Latvia

Some 400 wolves, and as many lynxes

With a land surface of 63,000 square kilometres (about one and a half the size of Switzerland) and a population of 2.3 million inhabitants, Latvia is among the smallest European countries. However, in terms of biological wealth, it is one of the richest.

For example, Latvia still has a large population of large carnivores, with some 400 wolves (more than in the whole of northwestern Europe) and as many lynxes. About 10 bears are also known to live in the wild in the country. Latvia is also home to many bird species, the most famous of which is probably the black stork, which can be spotted here more than anywhere else in Europe.

Unique cultural, economic, and social value
Rural areas cover 98% of Latvia's territory, with 45% of them forested. Home to 31% of the Latvian population, these areas have a unique cultural, economic, and social value. When not covered by woodlands, they consist of a mosaic of farmland, unspoiled natural sites, villages and small towns, regional centres, and small industries.

500 km of beaches, Atlantic salmon spawning sites
Latvia's other features include almost 500 km of beaches without hotels and other tourist facilities, and 12,400 rivers totalling 38,000km in length. It is one of the countries in the Baltic Sea region where wild Atlantic salmon spawning sites have been preserved and healthy populations have survived.

Threats like everywhere
However, the country also faces a series of environmental threats, such as overexploitation of forests, illegal fishing, and damming of rivers. Outside the state forests - which are all certified according to the principles of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) - timber is intensely, and sometimes illegally, exploited, leading to a rapid diminution of the forest cover.

Similarly, uncontrolled and illegal fishing during the spawning season is now reducing the number of wild salmon spawning in Latvia's rivers and coastal waters. The existence of perverse subsidies for small hydroelectric power stations has also resulted in fewer rivers flowing freely. Intensification of agriculture is another problem that could severely impact on Latvia's rural landscape and traditions.

Under its Programme "Natural Capital for Human Welfare", WWF-Latvia aims to tackle these issues, focussing its conservation efforts on rural development, forests, freshwater, and species. The project developed and launched at Lake Pape is part of this programme.