Climate change doesn’t only apply to distant countries of the world, we can observe it in Latvia as well. Not only has the thickness of the snow cover and length of the winter season decreased, but we can also observe extreme, previously uncharacteristic weather conditions. For example, in the summer of 2017, when the average air temperature did not exceed +20 °C and an unprecedented amount of precipitation fell during the summer. As a result, farmers' fields were flooded and much of their crops were lost. On the other hand, an opposite situation was observed in the summer of 2018, when there was little precipitation and a high average air temperature. That, of course, also led to the loss of some of the projected harvest.

Both situations were defined as national disasters, and farmers were compensated for their losses. These are just a few examples that illustrate the situation where the impact of climate change is becoming more and more common in Latvia as well.

Just as the world's average air temperature is increasing, the same is happening in Latvia as well. Picture below shows temperature changes in the period from 1960 to the present day and scientists' future predictions. As you can see, even with the optimistic scenario (in orange), the air temperature will only continue to increase. Whereas, if we do not take actions to limit climate change, the scenario in red with a significant increase in temperature is expected.

Average air temperature in Riga since 1960 and future forecasts

The thickness of the snow cover will only continue to decrease in the future, with the forecast that it will completely disappear from Latvia in 2090, and our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will only be able to see snow in historical photographs or documentary films.

Average thickness of snow cover in Riga since 1960 and its future forecasts

Climate change will especially affect the coastal population, and Latvia has the highest concentration of people from the total population of the country in comparison to other Baltic Sea countries, in a 5–10 km wide strip along the seacoast.

Climate change will also affect plant and animal species, e.g., the number of bird species, as some species will disappear from Latvia, while others will take their place. For example, in the past, a very common bird species in Latvia was the [red] grouse. Currently, the Velvet Scoter has already disappeared in Latvia. In the 20^th century, these birds gradually retreated to the northeast. However, four new species of birds, newcomers from the south, have started nesting in Latvia – the bee-eater, the collared flycatcher, the egret, and the African stonechat. The desert warbler and the stonechat, which have also been observed in Latvia, are southerners as well. Such changes are expected to continue in the future.

Farmers sometimes express the view that the extension of the growing season by climate change by 20–50 days in the northern part of the sea basin and 30–90 days in the southern part can increase crop yields. In Latvia, crops such as corn and other crops characteristic of the southern regions may appear. However, it should be considered that climate change also increases the risk of occurrence of extreme climatic phenomena (floods, droughts), which can seriously jeopardise the harvest. In addition, they can also contribute to the spread of invasive species and the migration of agricultural crop pests.

Sometimes, the possible benefits of climate change in energy are also mentioned in the discussions, because if the precipitation increases, the average flow of water in the rivers will also increase, so hydroelectric plants will be able to produce more electricity. If the annual average temperature rises, it will allow one to reduce the consumption of energy resources for heating and reduce the dependence on imported energy resources.

In terms of public and environmental health, climate change may lead to the emergence of diseases atypical to the region and may increase the frequency and prevalence of tick-borne diseases. Also, health disorders related to the excessive summer heat may increase, including morbidity with cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory diseases.

In Latvia, as in the rest of the world, most of the GHG emissions are generated by the energy sector – 37%. In second place in terms of the amount of GHG emissions generated is transport (29%), and third place – is agriculture (22%).

The main task is clear – the emission of gases causing the greenhouse effect must be reduced. Some gases have a very long decay period and will remain in the atmosphere even after their emission has subsided. It means that even if we act now, the temperature will continue to rise for some time. On the other hand, if we do nothing, it will rise even faster (see Fig. 10) and the process might become uncontrollable. The sooner we act, the more successful the result will be.