Latvia is considered one of the greenest countries in the world, yet even our country has limited natural capital. A system for measuring the value of our nature - a Nature Census - will be introduced for the first time in order to collect detailed and complete information about Latvia's natural capital, to effectively manage those resources and plan economic activity accordingly.
In the terms of the project, natural capital includes natural landscapes with grasslands, forests, swamps, coastal areas and sand dunes, rivers, lakes, exposed rock formations, and the diversity of species living in these habitats. The function of the Nature Census project is to determine the amount and distribution of the various kinds of natural capital in Latvia.
The project 'Preconditions for better biodiversity preservation and ecosystem protection in Latvia', or simply the 'Nature Census', is co-funded by the European Union Cohesion Fund.