LAND POLICY IN LATVIA: IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF RESULTS

Abstract

The use and protection of land are essential for the development and existence of any country. Therefore it is necessary to develop a national policy for rational administration and management of the land, because at least 20 % of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) can be obtained from the land, real property and construction. One of the main aims of the Sustainable Development Strategy of the European Union is environmental protection, at the same time maintaining capacity of land to support life in all its diversity, bearing in mind that natural resources are limited. The challenge is to ensure environmental protection and improvement of the environment, to promote sustainable production and consumption in order to break the link between economic growth and environmental degradation. This can be achieved by improving the effectiveness of management of resources as well as avoiding over-exploitation of renewable or non-renewable natural resources and stopping the loss of biodiversity. In 2008 in Latvia the Land Policy Guidelines for the time period till 2014 were approved defining the national policy in land use as well as determining activities for promotion of sustainable land use. The article analyzes the problems of land use, the aims set in the land policy and the achieved results as well as gives recommendations for further development of the land policy.

Keywords: completion of land reform, land policy, land use, unused agricultural land.

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2015.046