News
With the support of the Japanese government, the log sort yard –the so-called "Business Service Yard" was organized in the village of Jighaura.
With the financial support of the Japanese government, within the framework of the project " Support to Sustainable and Climate Friendly Forest Management Practices in Georgia ", a new "Business Service Yard" was organized in the village of Jighaura, Mtskheta municipality.
The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Otar Shamugia, accompanied by the H.E. Imamura Akira, Ambassador of Japan to Georgia, and Mr. Nick Beresford, UNDP Resident Representative in Georgia, opened the "Business Service Yard".
"Ensuring sustainable forest management is one of our top priorities. Firstly, it is critical to develop appropriate forest management plans, carry out inventory, strengthen the maintenance and restore forests, and, secondly, protect forests by enhancing appropriate control mechanisms.
Moreover, ''Business Service Yards'' are essential for the success of the ongoing forestry reform in Georgia. We aim to gradually replace social logging with forest-friendly services and create easy access to sustainably harvested wood resources for citizens and businesses”, -said Mr. Otar Shamugia, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
The project " Support to Sustainable and Climate Friendly Forest Management Practices in Georgia " is implemented with the funding of the Japanese government and the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), for which USD 920,000 has been allocated. 39 "business service yards" have already been set up in the country. In addition, 17 "business service yards" will be organized by the end of 2023.
According to Mr. Imamura Akira, the forest in Georgia is a precious treasure, which plays a crucial role in the sustainable and climate-smart development of the country and is vital for the well-being of people; Japan is happy to share its many years of experience with Georgia in forest management and thereby contribute to the protection and sustainable use of natural resources in the country.
It is worth mentioning that within the framework of the project " Support to Sustainable and Climate Friendly Forest Management Practices in Georgia", the "business service yards" in the villages of Dzegvi and Kvemo Lisi were equipped with the appropriate equipment: 4 units of trucks, 3 pickup trucks, 1 tractor, and 3 electricity generators.
Personal safety kits, 100 fire-fighting tools, 30 special fire-resistant protective helmets, 50 radio transmitters (walkie-talkies), and three all-terrain vehicles were given to foresters, thus, enabling them to manage and control the hazards of forest fires.
In addition, the most vulnerable families in the mentioned villages were provided with energy-efficient stoves. About 43,000 residents have received sustainable biomass fuel for their daily needs.
As UNDP Resident Representative in Georgia, Mr. Nick Beresford stated, the UN Development Program supports forest sector reform in Georgia as a step forward in the sustainable management of natural resources and mitigation –reducing climate change.