From August 18 to 20, the Nordic Hydrological Conference 2026 (NHC2026) took place in Mariehamn, Åland Islands, Finland. The conference serves as a meeting platform for the Nordic and Baltic hydrological community, bringing together researchers, water-management experts and practitioners to exchange research results, methods and practical experience. The overarching theme of NHC2026 was “Digital Solutions in Hydrology and Sustainable Water Management.”
At the conference, LIFE GoodWater IP was represented by Ainis Lagzdiņš, Ieva Siksnāne and Artūrs Veinbergs from the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU), who contributed with two oral presentations and one poster, and by Jolanta Jēkabsone from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC), who presented one poster. The LIFE GoodWater IP contributions covered nutrient monitoring, catchment modelling, geospatial planning of mitigation measures and ecological-flow assessment.
Ieva Siksnāne, PhD, Researcher at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, presented the poster “Seasonal variability of nitrogen compounds in Latvian river catchments: insights from the LIFE GoodWater IP project”, co-authored by Ainis Lagzdiņš and Artūrs Veinbergs. The poster presented results from water quality monitoring in the Slocene and Aģe catchments conducted as part of LIFE GoodWater IP, with particular emphasis on the seasonal variability of nitrogen compounds. In the Slocene catchment, the highest mean concentrations of total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen were observed during winter, whereas in the Aģe catchment, the highest total nitrogen concentrations occurred during summer and autumn, highlighting differences in the factors controlling the dynamics of nitrogen losses in the two catchments.
In the oral presentation “The application of geospatial datasets for planning of water quality monitoring and implementation of water and nutrient retention practices”, Senior Researcher, Dr. sc. ing. Ainis Lagzdiņš, from the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, highlighted the importance of geospatial information for identifying representative water quality monitoring sites, as well as for the targeted selection of locations for implementing measures of environmentally friendly drainage systems. The LIFE GoodWater IP approach combines information on land use, agricultural crops, drainage systems and potential pollution sources with monitoring results to identify sources of nutrient losses and suitable locations for water and nutrient retention measures.
The third LIFE GoodWater IP contribution was presented by Artūrs Veinbergs, PhD, Senior Researcher at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. His oral presentation focused on results from a comparison of SWAT+ and HYPE model setups and simulations in the Bērze River catchment. Although the models demonstrated similar overall statistical performance, they produced considerably different estimates of the contributions of surface runoff, groundwater and tile drainage as separate hydrological components to total streamflow. The results highlight the importance of correctly representing underlying hydrological processes when models are used to assess nutrient dynamics and the effects of catchment-management scenarios.
Jolanta Jēkabsone, from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, presented the poster “Ecological flow assessment on-line tool as a suitable instrument to support water management”. The work addresses ecological-flow management for small hydropower plants in Latvia, where water-use permit calculations may still rely on historical hydrological records that do not reflect recent climate-driven changes in river-flow regimes. LIFE GoodWater IP experts and researchers from Politecnico di Torino developed the open-access SimStream-Web platform, which uses hydrological data, biological models and mesohabitat information to evaluate ecological-flow and biological-response scenarios. The platform can also be used to assess potential future changes in ecological-flow security and increasing periods of summer habitat drought stress.
Together, the four contributions demonstrated the range of approaches being applied within LIFE GoodWater IP: from field monitoring and identification of nutrient pressures to spatially targeted mitigation measures, hydrological modelling and practical ecological-flow decision-support tools. The presentations brought Latvian experience in implementing River Basin Management Plans into the wider Nordic hydrology discussion and demonstrated how project results can support evidence-based management of water bodies at risk.
Nordic Hydrological Conference 2028 to take place in Riga!
Jolanta Jēkabsone also serves as a Board Member of the Nordic Association for Hydrology (NHF). On 19 August, a General Assembly of the Association was held. It has been decided that the next Nordic Hydrological Conference will be held in Riga, Latvia, on 15–17 August 2028. The theme of the conference will be “Water, Climate and Biodiversity: From Science to Resilient Action”. As several LIFE projects related to aquatic ecosystems are currently being implemented in Latvia, this will provide an excellent opportunity for all of us to share project results and lessons learned.