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Levan Davitashvili: This will be the first precedent when Georgia's natural heritage is included in the list of UNESCO Natural Heritage
This will be the first precedent when Georgia's natural heritage will be included in the list of UNESCO Natural Heritage, as a result of which, the publc awareness on our country will be increased worlwide" said Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia at the conference , where Georgia’s natural sites were nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List. The conference was held in Hilton Hotel in Batumi.
Levan Davitashvili expressed hope, that assessment mission team comprised of the experts of UNESCO and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) learned a lot about biodiversity as well as unique Colchian forests. all the above mentioned will facilitate to make a positive decision next year. was noted by the Minister.
“Three cultural heritage sites in Georgia– Towers of Svaneti, Gelati and Mtskheta are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones, therefore, we admit it as the first precedent. When the site is included in the List of UNESCO Protected Areas, it will underscore its uniqueness and raise public awareness on being recognized internationally.
I think this status will increase the potential and awareness of ecotourism, which will attract more visitors, tourists, researchers and scientists. All of this will improve the socio-economic status of the population.
In recent years, we have been trying to implement standards that are related to the effective management of protected areas ” said the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
Georgia's four Protected Areas - Mtirala and Kolkheti National Parks and Kintrishi and Kobuleti Protected Areas were first submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in February.
The experts of UNESCO and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) visited the area last week to learn about existing biodiversity and unique Colchian forests.
Moreover, granting the status of World Natural Heritage will help to increase awareness of Georgia’s protected areas, promote ecotourism, share International experience on managing the natural sites, increase the interest and number of visitors.
Since 2017, the nomination of World Heritage Sites was initiated and financially and technically supported by the German Government, WWF and Mikhail Zhukov Foundation and is a major event for the country.
The Minister of Agriculture of Adjara Tite Areshidze, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Yuri Nozadze, Head of the Agency of Protected Areas, representatives of Adjara Government and relevant municipalities attended the conference in Batumi.