Department of Applied Environmental Science

The aim
The aim of the activities of the Department of Applied Environment Science is to provide studies in environmental science at the University of Latvia, and to develop scientific and applied research in creation, transfer and innovations of environmental technologies, analysis and modelling of environmental pollution, environmental policy and management, as well as in environmental planning (also landscape planning), in sustainable use and protection of environment and resources, in waste management and in the management of climate change, thus promoting the development of the society and national economy in general. In their academic and research activities the personnel of the Department cooperates with Latvian and foreign partners in public administration and institutions of research and higher education.

Academic staff
Dr. habil. paed., professor Raimonds Ernšteins
Dr. geogr., professor Oļģerts Nikodemus
Dr. sc. ing., associate professor Ivars Kudreņickis
Dr. geogr., associate professor, director of the master’s study programme "Environmental Science" Iveta Šteinberga
Dr. geogr., assistant professor, Jānis Brizga
Dr. geogr., assistant professor, Juris Burlakovs
Dr. geogr., assistant professor, Laura Kļaviņa
Dr. geogr., assistant professor, director of the bachelor’s study programme "Environmental Science" Imants Kukuļs
Dr. geogr., assistant professor, secretary of the Faculty Council Zanda Penēze
Mg. sc. nat., researcher Kristīne Afanasjeva
Mg. sc. nat., researcher Baiba Dirnēna
 

PhD students
Līga Bieziņa: research topic "The Development of the Instruments of Environmental Communication in Municipal Management", supervisor: Dr. habil. paed. Raimonds Ernšteins;
Kristīne Eglīte: research topic "The Creation and Implementation of Strategy and Model for Renewable Energy Resource Generation and Load Balancing in Energy Network in the Baltic Sea Region", supervisor: Dr.geogr. Iveta Šteinberga;
Maija Fonteina Kazaka: research topic "Application and Use of Ecosystem Services Approach in Monitoring Surface-water Ecosystem Quality", supervisors: Dr. geogr. Ivo Vinogradovs, Dr. geogr. Oļģerts Nikodemus;
Rasa Ikstena: research topic "Waste Sector Management in Latvia", supervisor: Dr. habil. paed. Raimonds Ernšteins;
Edgars Jūrmalis: research topic "The Study of Recreational Preferences and their Solutions in Planning Support for Management of Latvian Forest Ecosystems", supervisor: Dr. silv. Zane Lībiete (Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava");
Oskars Kaļva: research topic "Approbation of the Methodology of Thermal Comfort Level in Controlled Environment (indoors): the Case Study of Educational Institutions", supervisor: Dr. geogr. Iveta Šteinberga;
Aleksandra Kaniščeva: research topic "Enhanced Interest in Monitoring and Analysis of Methods for Low Regulated and Unregulated Air Pollutants: Knowledge Gaps and Monitoring Solutions", supervisor: Dr. geogr. Iveta Šteinberga;
Zane Kļaviņa: research topic "The Impact of Forestry on Water Quality", supervisor: Dr. geogr. Iveta Šteinberga;
Ivars Kļaviņš: research topic "The Effect of Sustainably Intensified Forestry on Circulation of Substances and Development of New Growths after Renewal Cut", supervisor: Dr. geogr. Iveta Šteinberga;
Kārlis Koņkovs: research topic "Models and Practices of Lake Management", supervisor: Dr. habil. paed. Raimonds Ernšteins;
Ērika Lagzdiņa: research topic "Municipal Environmental Governance", supervisor: Dr. habil. paed. Raimonds Ernšteins;
Māris Ozoliņš: research topic "Diversity of Systems of Municipal Environmental Management for Optimal Use of Resources", supervisor: Dr. habil. paed. Raimonds Ernšteins;
Roberts Pūgulis: research topic "Municipal Management of Mobility: Bicycle Transport", supervisor: Dr. habil. paed. Raimonds Ernšteins;
Ance Rusova-Lūsis: research topic "Enabling recourse-efficient practices in the renewable energy sector through new business models for circular economy", supervisor: Dr. geogr. Jānis Brizga;
Raimonda Soloha: research topic: "Model for Sustainability of Transition Towards Zero-waste Food Supply System", supervisor Dr. sc. ing. Elīna Dāce (UL Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology);
Daniels Trukšāns: research topic "Local Community Environmental Management", supervisor: Dr. habil. paed. Raimonds Ernšteins;
Andris Ziemelis: research topic "The Impact of Future Scenario Management on Structural Transformations of Landscape Fragmentation in the Context of Biodiversity", supervisor Dr. geogr. Oļģerts Nikodemus.

Post-doctoral students
Juris Burlakovs, Dr. geogr. – 01.03.2020-28.02.2023., ERDF Post-doctoral research support project No.1.1.1.2/VIAA/3/19/531 "Innovative Technologies for Stabilization of Landfills – Diminishing of Environmental Impact and Resource Potential in the Framework of Circular Economy";
Jānis Brizga, Dr. geogr. – 01.10.2017-31.09.2019., ERDF Post-doctoral research support project No.1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/065 "Developing new tools for assessing the sustainability of the bioeconomy".

Research directions

• The impact of climate change, changes of land use and land cover on soil and its properties. Composition of the organic matter of soil and its contribution to GHG emissions.
• The driving forces in landscape transformation and their impact on landscape sustainability, assessment and planning.
• Solutions for circular economy, bioeconomy: use of waste as biorefining and valorisation of resources, by-products of biomass processing: innovation for environmental technologies.
• Public consumption patterns and innovations for sustainable development.
• Assessment of the state of nature and environmental systems, mathematical modelling of trends of development, scenarios, assessment of the proportion and significance of impact of biogenic and anthropogenic factors in the evolution of various systems.
• Management of energy resources in complex energy supply systems; energy efficiency and renewables, policies and measures.
• Environmental management systems and processes, tools.

Scientific Projects

The project No. 4 "Environmental Diversity and Sustainable Governance" of the National Research Programme "Innovation and Sustainable development: Latvia’s Post-crisis Experience in a Global Context (SUSTINNO)" (2014–2018) (Project Manager – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins)

EU LIFE+ programme project No. LIFE13 ENV/LT/000189 "Integrated planning tool to ensure viability of grasslands" (LIFE Viva Grass) (2014–2019) (Project Manager – assoc. prof. Raimonds Kasparinskis)

Project of the Baltic Sea Region Research Programme BONUS 2010–2017, co-financed by Horizon 2020 "A systems Approach Framework for Coastal Research and Management in the Baltic" (BaltCoast) (2015–2018) (Project Manager in Latvia – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins)

The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014–2020 project "Water Emission and their Reduction in Village Communities in Baltic Sea Region Project (Village Water)" (2016–2019) (Project Manager – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins)

The project of the State Education Development Agency No. 1.1.1.2/VIAA/1/16/065 "Development of New Tools for Assessing Bio-economic Sustainability" (2017–2019) (Project Manager – assist. prof. J. Brizga)

CA16109, COST action "Chemical On-Line cOmpoSition and Source Apportionment of fine aerosoL" (COLOSSAL) (2017–2021) (Management Committee member from Latvia – assoc. prof. Iveta Šteinberga)

EU ERASMUS - INTENSE: Integrated Doctoral Program for Environmental Policy, Management and Technology, (2017–2021) (Project Manager in Latvia – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins) 

EU LIFE programme project No. LIFE16 NAT/LV/000262 "Restoring EU Priority Grasslands and Promoting their Multiple Use" (GrassLIFE) (2017–2023) (Project Manager from the UL – assoc. prof. Solvita Rūsiņa, Leading Partner – Latvian Fund for Nature)

The effective collaboration project of the University of Latvia No. 18-74, 2018–2019: "Approbation of Nanosensoric Methods in the Control of Odour Pollution in the Atmosphere in the Municipality of Saldus" (2018–2019) (Project Manager – assoc. prof. I. Šteinberga)

The University of Latvia applied research project "Assessment of Aerodynamic Effects of the Dust Fence Ltd "RCoT" and Ltd "STREK" in the Riga Free Port" (2018–2019) (Project Manager – assoc. prof. I. Šteinberga)

The University of Latvia applied project "The Creation of a Modelling Application for Measuring Military Noise Distribution" (2019) (Project Manager – assoc. prof. I. Šteinberga)

The University of Latvia applied research project "Liepaja Air Quality Improvement Programme" (2020–2021) (Project Manager – assoc. prof. I. Šteinberga)

Pre-defined project No. LV-CLIMATE-0002 "Enhancement of the Sustainable Soil Resource Management in Agriculture" of the Norway Grants Climate and End Environment Programme 2014–2021 "Climate Change Mitigation, adaptation to them and the Environment" (E2SOILAGRI) (2020–2023) (Project Manager from the UL – assist. prof. Imants Kukuļs)

ES RTD/2020/23 EJP SOIL project No. 862695 "Towards climate-smart sustainable management of agricultural soils" (2020–2025) (Project Manager in Latvia – assoc. prof. Raimonds Kasparinskis)

The project No. 101022492 "PROactive Strategies and Policies for Energy Citizenship Transformation" (EnergyPROSPECTS), funded under the EU Horizon 2020 programme (2021–2024) (Project Manager – assist. prof. J. Brizga)

Research Project of the Baltic States and Germany: “ESD for 2030 – Learning for and in sustainable and resilient communities”, No. 35601/42, sponsored by the German Federal Foundation for the Environment (DBU), (2021–2024) (Project Manager in Latvia – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins)

EU ERASMUS - START CIRCULAR: Integrated entrepreneurship management model for circular economy, (2021–2024) (Project Manager in Latvia – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins)

DAAD Deutschland, The Baltic-German University Liaison Office, The future cities of Europe: Beyond Lüneburg 2030+, Germany and Baltic countries, (2022) (Project Director – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins)

The University of Latvia applied research project "Air Quality Measurements and Assessment in Olaine" (2022) (Project Manager – assoc. prof. I. Šteinberga)

CA21158, COST action "Enhancing Small-Medium Islands Resilience by Securing the Sustainability of Ecosystem Services" (SMILES) (2022–2026) (Management Committee member from Latvia – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins)

CA21119, COST action "International Network for Harmonization of Atmospheric Aerosol Retrievals from Ground Based Photometers" (Harmonia) (2022–2026) (Management Committee member from Latvia – assoc. prof. Iveta Šteinberga)

EU COST Action: CA22122 – RETHINKBLUE: Rethinking the Blue Economy: Socio-Ecological Impacts and Opportunities, (2023–2027) (Management Committee member from Latvia – prof. Raimonds Ernšteins) 

Participation in professional organisations

Association of Geographical Societies in Europe

EUCC Coastal and Marine Union

European Association of Geochemistry

European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers

International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC)

International Environmental Communication Association (IECA)

International Society for Olfaction and Chemical Sensing (ISOCS)

ODYSSEE-MURE (A decision-support tool for evaluation of energy efficiency policy

Organization of the German-Austrian-Swiss Clay Group (DTTG)

Latvian Geographic Society

SCORAI Europe - Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative

The Clay Minerals Society (USA)

Soil Science Society of Latvia

Cooperation partners in Latvia

Baltic Environmental Forum Latvia

Labour Protection Administration

Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies

Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"

SIA "CircleK Latvia"

Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia

Riga City municipality enterprise, SIA "Rīgas Meži"

State Environmental Service of Latvia

State Plant Protection Service of Latvia

Worldwide Fund for Nature in Latvia

International cooperation partners

FORTHEM Alliance

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Yokohama City University

Klaipeda University

Lüneburg University

Stockholm University