DRINKING WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT IN LATVIA: INTEGRATIVE AND ADAPTIVE APPROACH

The paper aims to develop a drinking water quality management model in country comprising integrative and adaptive management principles. A large part of problems are connected with institutional structure, including the dispersed drinking water quality supervision system, inadequate overall coordination of functions and responsibilities, insufficient capacity of institutions, lack of regularity in drinking water quality supervision. Another problem group is related to communication and collaboration issues: insufficient collaboration between target groups in different levels, inadequate way of information. The current research is based on sociological research methods: interviews and questionnaires involving respondents from principal target groups: state institutions, water management enterprises, municipalities, experts and population. The contribution of integrated approach leads to the management model, which involves: drinking water protection, water safety, public health and local planning issues. Accordingly, the adaptive approach leads to operative and flexible decisions and solutions, more effective planning, efficient provision of water resource infrastructure, learning from shortcomings and indicating a need for overall environmental assessments and research, as well as, comprehensive environmental communication. The adaptive water management has an important role for water-based infrastructure systems development, especially in rural municipalities.