In August 2026, the State Limited Liability Company “Real Estate of the Ministry of Agriculture” (ZMNĪ) completed projects for the restoration and reconstruction of flood protection infrastructure in Latvia, financed with support from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The restored infrastructure and new equipment improve preparedness for flood risks, strengthen the resilience of state drainage systems and help protect residents, property and territories from flooding.
“Floods and storms in recent years have increasingly demonstrated the importance of safe and well-maintained drainage infrastructure. By investing more than EUR 31 million, we have improved flood protection for many rural residents and their properties in Latvia. The restored flood protection facilities will also protect agricultural land, forests, roads, power lines and other infrastructure important to residents and businesses from flooding. In addition, the restored protective dams, pumping stations and new equipment will enable us to respond much more quickly and safely when weather conditions pose a real threat,” emphasises Minister for Agriculture Uldis Augulis.
A total of 22 state drainage system facilities have been restored and reconstructed:
9 pumping stations;
12 protective dams with a total length of 66.3 km;
1 canal with a total length of 11.3 km;
1 state-level watercourse with a total length of 4.5 km;
9 high-capacity mobile pumps purchased;
8 high-capacity generators purchased.
Pumping stations were reconstructed, and protective dams, a state-level watercourse and a canal were restored in Dienvidkurzeme Municipality (Nīca and Otaņķi parishes), Talsi Municipality (Ķūļciems Parish), Ventspils Municipality (Ugāle Parish), Mārupe Municipality (Sala and Babīte parishes), Ropaži Municipality (Stopiņi Parish), Jelgava Municipality (Līvbērze Parish), Ogre Municipality (Tīnūži Parish and Ogre), Jēkabpils Municipality (Sala Parish), Rēzekne Municipality (Nagļi and Rikava parishes), Līvāni Municipality (Rožupe Parish), and Madona Municipality (Ošupe and Barkava parishes).
All mobile pumps and generators have been mounted on trailers to enable the rapid transportation and deployment of the equipment where needed. The equipment is stored in all regions of Latvia – in Talsi, Dienvidkurzeme, Jelgava, Ropaži, Preiļi, Valmiera and Madona municipalities, as well as in Riga and Ogre.
A total of EUR 31.3 million was invested in the implementation of the projects, including EUR 26 million in EU Recovery and Resilience Facility funding and EUR 5.3 million in Latvian state budget co-financing. As a result of these investments, more than 10,500 residents and their properties in rural areas of Latvia will be better protected from flood risks. The mobile pumps and generators enable rapid response and ensure the operation of pumping stations in emergency situations, including power outages and periods of increased flood risk, as was the case during the storm on 22–23 August.
