When will there be enough space in the cemeteries in Riga? At the current rate of burials, there may be space left in the municipal cemeteries in Riga for about nine years, said Gintas Zela, head of the cemeteries department of the Riga City Council's Housing and Environment Department. The municipality is already working to change that. One of the main options is encouraging cremation. If this method of leaving the dead becomes popular, it will reduce the need for traditional graves and accordingly extend the life of existing cemeteries.