Georgia

Marika Kavtarishvili, FLEG II Country Program Coordinator for IUCN Georgia, earned prestigious award thanks to her dedication and commitment to the improvement and conservation of the national forestry resources.

 The Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Program (FLEG II) organized two trainings, one in Borjomi and one in Kvareli this July. The sessions were the first time Georgian natural resource law enforcement officials have received legal and practical training directly from active judges, one from the Tbilisi Court of Appeals and one from the Borjomi Magistrate Court, whose jurisdiction includes a significant part of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park in southern Georgia.

FLEG II has purchased a mini-tractor, drilling mechanism, cultivator and rotating cultivator for the Forestry Agency of Ajara (FAA). Under this Program, forest restoration works were initiated in Khulo Municipality of Ajara Autonomous Republic, Georgia. FLEG II contributes to fencing of more than 100 ha of degraded forest near village Bodzauri to protect it from cattle grazing.

Marika Kavtarishvili, FLEG II country program coordinator for IUCN Georgia and a native of the Tusheti region wrote the article describing the Tusheti Protected Landscape Administration’s (TPLA) unique authority to manage the forests in the Protected Area. No other Protected Area in Georgia is under such local control.

With FLEG II support, Georgia and Armenia have held two round table discussions hosted by each of these countries to share experience and agree on the modality of future cooperation.

In frame of FLEG II Program, WWF invited elementary school students for educational event in Botanical Garden of Tbilisi to talk about biodiversity and discuss how humans can minimize their ecological footprints.  Eighty students from four different schools joined the event. Various educational and fun activities were held during the day ranging from a guided tour to learn about endangered species of our forests to the hidden questions contest.

The FLEG II Program participated in the open air events organized to observe Europe Day on May 10 to raise awareness of the importance of forest protection and FSC certification.

FLEG II Program country team members from WB, IUCN and WWF gave presentations about the Program, its achievements and future plans. Students of Tbilisi Green School staged a performance on environmental problems and forest protection.

Overgrazing is a major cause of forest degradation in Ajara region as in many other parts of Georgia. FLEG II will support forest restoration works in Ajara region. WWF-Caucasus will purchase wooden poles, barbed wire, forest restoration tools and mechanisms and transfer to the Forestry Agency of Ajara (FAA) to contribute to fencing of about 100 ha of degraded forest to protect it from cattle grazing. The actual fencing work will be conducted by the FAA by end of July – August 2015.

The study aims to demonstrate the potential of implementation of voluntary forest certification under FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) scheme in Georgia and to provide concrete recommendations to help achieve progress in this field.