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A seminar for effective application of SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment is underway
On September 19-20, the workshop on the effective application of Strategic Environmental Assessment for municipal Spatial Plans in Georgia is held at the Holiday Inn Hotel.
The Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Nino Tandilashvili opened the event. According to the Deputy Minister, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a new tool for Georgian legislation, which allows documents on spatial planning, as well as political documents to be evaluated at an initial planning stage.
“ The Strategic Environmental Assessment creates a new reality for our country. However, our experience is relatively scarce, compared with the environmental impact assessment. Consequently, for its effective use, knowledge acquisition is particularly important for all parties engaged in the strategic environmental assessment process.
The strategic environmental assessment is being implemented under the frame of the pilot project, which allows us to identify the practice that will be established in the field of environmental assessment in the country, on the other hand, it gives an opportunity to gain the necessary experience from foreign experts directly involved in the development process of Georgian environmental legislation ”said Nino Tandilashvili.
As the Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi, Maya Bitadze pointed out, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SDS) is a completely new tool and its implementation and practical application is not an easy process. Therefore, sharing knowledge and experience of foreign experts is important to achieve real results.
Under the seminar, the participants will present the strategic environmental assessment report, quality control and develop recommendations at the example of Lebardo Resort Development Plan in Martvili Municipality.
Under the frame of the EU-funded EU4Environment project and with the support of the Government of the Czech Republic, the two-day seminar is held in Georgia.
The representatives of the Ministries of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Regional Development and Infrastructure, and IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs, Tbilisi City Hall, local and regional municipalities as well as foreign experts are attending the seminar.