Recovery and Resilience Facility funding strengthens flood protection infrastructure in Latvia

For three consecutive years, Latvian agriculture has been affected by extremely adverse weather conditions, and the summer of 2025 was the wettest summer since 2016. Heavy rainfall caused water levels in rivers in eastern Latvia to rise rapidly, resulting in flooding of floodplains, low-lying areas and agricultural land in many places. Prolonged rainfall also damaged drainage systems. To reduce flood risks, the implementation of 22 Recovery and Resilience Facility-funded projects continued in 2025, involving the reconstruction of pumping stations and the restoration of flood protection embankments and regulated sections of potamal rivers.

Despite adverse weather conditions, waterlogged soil and roads being periodically closed, construction works continued, and by the end of October 2025, three projects had been completed: the D-1 flood protection embankment of the Mazā Jugla polder, the D-2 flood protection embankment of the Auce polder, and the D-1 flood protection embankment of the Ogre-2 polder, an engineering protection structure of the Riga HPP reservoir. Work on several other projects, including pumping stations, is expected to be completed in the near future.

The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing and monitoring Reform and Investment Direction 1.3 “Adaptation to Climate Change” under Investment 1.3.1.2.i “Flood risk reduction infrastructure, including reconstruction of polder pumping stations, restoration of flood protection embankments and restoration of regulated sections of potamal rivers” of Component 1 “Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability” of Latvia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.