Students and staff

Participation in the LIFE GoodWater International Conference

The image shows a presentation of a paper. On the left side, there is a presentation slide with text. In the foreground and on the right side, there is a table with people sitting around it. In the center of the image, in the far distance, there is project researcher Anita Zariņa.
The image shows a presentation of a paper. On the left side, there is a presentation slide with text. In the foreground and on the right side, there is a table with people sitting around it. In the center of the image, in the far distance, there is project researcher Anita Zariņa.
The picture shows a presentation of a report. On the left side, you can see a presentation slide with text. In the foreground, there is a table with people sitting around it. On the right side, there is project researcher Anita Zariņa.

On 8-9 October 2025, the LIFE GoodWater international conference “Waterside – where water, land, and human lives intersect: practices and challenges in river basin management” took place in Riga and the Tukums region. The event brought together researchers, conservation practitioners, and representatives of municipalities and national institutions to discuss river ecological conditions, water governance, and sustainable approaches to managing waterscapes.

At the conference, project researcher Anita Zariņa presented a study developed in collaboration with colleagues from the Water Cultures project and LSFRI “Silava”, examining expert perspectives on beaver activity in small river management. While beavers are widely recognized internationally as ecosystem engineers that can contribute to nature-based solutions, in Latvia attitudes in practice remain cautious and often conflict-oriented, especially in drained agricultural landscapes. This tension between ecological value and the prevailing logic of control indicates that coexistence requires not only technical solutions, but also shifts in knowledge frameworks and governance practices.

Conference overview is available here

Photo authors: I. Vītola, A. Reķe

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