SONET: Save our Nature and Environmental Treasures of the Coast of Latvia

Summary

The SONET project aimed to protect coastal dune ecosystems in the Western part of Latvia, specifically in the areas near Ventspils, Mērsrags and Bērzciems. These areas are home to critically endangered species like the sand pink (Dianthus arenarius) and perform important ecological functions. The central project goal was to restore grey dunes and marine coastal meadows, which are important but endangered habitats along the Baltic Sea coast, and to create a sustainable tourism infrastructure to mitigate the negative effects of heavy and unregulated tourism in these areas. In this sense, the project is a continuation of the project Save Latvian Dunes, also supported by BaltCF.

The project saw severe problems due to the massive increase in construction prices after the outbreak of the Ukraine war. Later, the largest project site was handed over to the military, which meant all investments there were stopped, and alternative measures had to be devised. Nonetheless, the project has created considerable impact.