Environmental issues in Lithuania

Lithuania,unfortunately, has many environmental issues, some of which they are struggling to cope with. Those problems include water pollution, air pollution, a threat of nuclear contamination, threatened species of animals and plants, overgrazing, poaching, bare forest space from cutting down too many trees and plants, slash and burn agriculture, chemicals and waste materials released into the environment, greenhouse gas, the ozone shield, soil degradation and erosion and other issues.

Fortunately, the Lithuanian Environmental Ministry (LEM) is working with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and hope that the voluntary concerned citizens will participate in the decision making process, the giving of suggestions and aid the LEM on specific projects. New environmental strategies and goals have been developed in national legislation.

The goal of the Lithuanian Environmental Ministry (LEM) is to precondition the country's development to preserve a healthy and clean natural environment, landscape and biological diversity, and make the optimal use of nature.

Some of the ways that Lithuania is hoping to work on its environmental issues are:

(1) Reforestation by planting trees in areas that have been cut too much or destroyed by fire or by slash and burn agriculture where trees are cut down and burned to clear land, which practice can have disastrous consequences.

(2) Regulation of chemicals used for weed control that can cause plants to lose their leaves and have a detrimental impact on the ecosystem and human health.

(3) Regulate drift net fishing that goes on for miles with a net anchored to a boat that results in waste and over harvesting of non-commercial species.

(4) Prevent the illegal killing of fish or animals, especially of threatened or endangered species.

(5) Insist on proper disposal by industrial plants of their toxic waste which pollutes water and air.

(6) Prevent overgrazing by animals on plants in range land that causes a permanent loss of plant cover that cannot regrow fast enough.

(7) Desalination of salt (undrinkable) water into fresh (drinkable) water and also stop the accumulation of topsoil salts caused by the evaporation of irrigation water that can render soil incapable of supporting crops.

(8) Stop poor agricultural practices including the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides, the compaction of soil from equipment, erosion of topsoil, all of which can result in the reduced ability of the land to produce agricultural products.

We wish Lithuania well in achieving these lofty goals and in showing other countries how to accomplish these necessary important changes.