Palanga at a Crossroads: Assessment of opportunities for sustainable development

In English During the next three to five years, the municipality of Palanga will make a number of crucial development decisions that will have significant longterm impacts on the lives of its citizens. Because Palanga is a beautiful region whose largely unspoiled natural resources attract many tourists, it is critical that these decisions be made with a view towards environmental sustainability so as not to destroy the natural scenery that has drawn so many visitors to the area over the years. Implementation of a comprehensive strategic planning process that integrates the perspectives of Palanga’s infrastructure sectors — energy-, water-, waste- and transportationmanagement will help to bring about a coherent vision of development. Significant public involvement in the municipality’s planning and decisionmaking processes will be also required to ensure public support for these decisions. In the short term, a number of inexpensive, incremental improvements are possible that can improve the performance of the municipality’s infrastructure and promote sustainable development.