ASSESSMENT OF LAND DEGRADATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MUNICIPALITY TERRITORIES

The global economic growth results in the increase of intensity of land use, which is one of the main natural resources. The degradation processes of land and soil occur as a result of economic activities and natural conditions creating degraded territories. Restoration of degraded territories and degradation risk prevention is an important task of each local government for sustainable development of a territory. It is determined by international and national legislation. As regards land degradation risks and their prevention, the Law on Land Management has come into force on 1 January 2015, which defines the notion of land and soil degradation requiring local governments to depict such territories in their planning documents as well as land owners to prevent their lands from degradation. However, in spite of the law, land and soil degradation identification criteria have not been approved in Latvia, there is neither relevant degradation classification system, nor regulations of the procedure how to identify and evaluate the current degree of land degradation and its possibility, how to determine measures for soil degradation prevention. The aim of the research was to work out scientifically grounded recommendations for the procedure of identification of land and soil degradation, classification and evaluation of degradation processes in Latvia, which could serve as the basis for the design of the regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers in the framework of the Law on Land Management. The survey was carried out among senior staff members of competent public institutions and local governments. The survey found out the respondents' opinion regarding types of land degradation, degraded land territories, their identification and division, storage of information about the maintenance of brownfields.