For decades, the Nordic Hydrological Conference (NHC) has served as a friendly platform for the Nordic and Baltic hydrological community to exchange ideas, latest research findings and lessons learned. This year, from 3-5 June, the conference returned to Iceland and focused on the impacts of climate change on the hydrological cycle and water resources, with a particular focus on different adaptation and mitigation measures.

Climate change adaptation is a particularly topical issue in the light of the increasing changes in precipitation patterns, temperatures and, in some regions, glacier melt. The main topics covered a wide range of issues from flood and drought risks to innovative applications of natural solutions and technologies. At the same time, other topics related to hydrology were also covered, allowing participants to present a wide range of research and innovative ideas. In addition, networking events are also a major part of the NHC, fostering new collaborations and strengthening professional contacts.

Main topics adressed in the conference:

Climate change impacts on water resources: the introduction to the conference highlighted the impacts of climate change on glaciers and sea level in Iceland and the role of hydropower in a changing climate. A presentation from the Latvian Centre for Environment, Geology and Meteorology (LEGMC), demonstrated how climate change affects ecological flows and flood frequency in Latvian rivers. Changes in precipitation and drought trends in Finland and other Nordic countries were also analysed.

Floods and droughts: natural extremes. This was one of the central themes addressed in several sessions. Presentations analysed specific flood cases, for example in Gövle (Sweden), and discussed flood risk management models. Researchers from the LVGMC presented studies on the predictability of ice jams in Latvian rivers and how climate change will affect ice jam-induced flooding in the future.

Nature-Based Solutions and Policy: much attention has been paid to integrating Nature-Based Solutions into planning and management. Application of green engineering in urban areas, agriculture and forestry to mitigate the effects of climate change were discussed. Researchers from the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava” presented research on the impact of forest management on water quality. The importance of cooperation and involvement of local communities in water management projects was also highlighted.

Groundwater and ecology: Several presentations focused on groundwater – its mapping, quality and protection. Researchers from the University of Latvia presented the challenges in collecting and analysing groundwater data in the Baltic States. The impact of agricultural pollution, such as nitrates, on groundwater in Denmark and elsewhere was also discussed. Ecology sessions explored the response of river and lake ecosystems to climate change and human activities.

Latest technologies and modelling: the conference showcased many studies using advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence for snowmelt and river runoff prediction, remote sensing for water quality assessment and various hydrological modelling tools. They help to forecast floods more accurately, assess the impacts of climate change and develop more effective water management plans.

Latvian representatives also actively participated in the conference, presenting research on various topics of interest to the country and the Baltic region:

• Floods and ice jams:
  • Līga Klints (Latvian Centre for Environment, Geology and Meteorology; University of Latvia) in two presentations analysed the possibilities of forecasting ice jams in Latvian rivers and flood frequency analysis in the context of climate change.
• Water ecology and quality:
  • Jolanta Jēkabsone (Latvian Centre for Environment, Geology and Meteorology) studied changes in ecological flow in Latvia in relation to climate change.
  • Amanda Lazdiņa (State Scientific Institute BIOR) demonstrated the impact of climate change on ecologically sensitive species and the associated management challenges in regulated rivers.
  • Amanda Vasule (State Scientific Institute BIOR) presented a study on the hydromorphological quality of lowland rivers in Latvia and the factors influencing it.
  • Ieva Siksnāne (Latvian University of Biosciences and Technology) demonstrated spatial data processing for water quality modelling using the example of the River Bērze.
  • Barbara Massalska-Duszczyk and Inta Dimante-Deimantovica (Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology) presented posters on the restoration of an eutrophic urban lake and the effectiveness of gypsum in reducing phosphorus losses from soils.
• Groundwater and pollution:
  • Jānis Bikše (University of Latvia) studied groundwater monitoring data in the Baltic States, highlighting data challenges and the “groundwater memory” effect.
  • Inga Retiķe (University of Latvia) presented poster presentations on the assessment of transboundary groundwater resilience using satellite data and on the seasonality and spatial variability of microplastic pollution on Latvian coastal beaches.
• Impact of forestry on waters:
  • Ivars Kļaviņš and Zane Kļaviņa (Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”) examined the impact of intensive forestry on water resources, seeking a balance between the demand for renewable resources and environmental protection, as well as investigating water quality protection issues in forest drainage systems.

HERE you’ll find a detailed programme of the event with abstracts from both oral presentations and poster sessions.

After the Nordic Hydrology Conference, the LIFE GoodWater IP team got tho know their Icelandic counterparts at the LIFE ICEWATER project, which addresses water challenges in Iceland. While Latvia is currently implementing the third cycle River Basin Management Plans (and developing the fourth cycle plans), Iceland is currently implementing their first cycle plans and developing their second cycle plans. Iceland has relatively high water quality – the island is sparsely populated, rivers do not suffer from excessive pollution from agricultural runoff and have a high self-purifying capacity. However, due to increasing pressures from tourism and other factors, current practices for, for instance, domestic wastewater management are no longer sustainable. The Icelandic colleagues were therefore particularly interested in the modelling tool developed by LIFE GoodWater IP to identify and characterise the potential impacts of decentralised wastewater systems (DWS) in settlements with a DWS ratio above 50%. During the networking process, the two project teams identified several touchpoints and it is clear that this cooperation will continue not only at project level but also at the level of the authorities responsible for planning surface water management!