Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia

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Otar Shamugia hosted Mr. Frank Morschel, Manager of the Environmental Portfolio of the German Development and Reconstruction Bank (KfW) in Georgia.

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Mr. Otar Shamugia hosted Mr. Frank Morschel, Manager of the Environmental Portfolio of the German Development and Reconstruction Bank (KfW) in Georgia.

During the meeting, the parties discussed issues specified in the grant agreement "Biodiversity and Sustainable Local Development in Georgia" signed between the Agency of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the German Development Bank (KfW).

"I would like to express my gratitude to the German Bank for Reconstruction and Development (KfW) for supporting the Agency of Protected Areas over the years. The grant agreement "Biodiversity and Sustainable Local Development in Georgia" envisages the creation of new protected areas and the expansion of existing ones within six years, also the improvement of the efficiency in the management system of protected areas. 

Considerable attention will be paid to the improvement of the monitoring of biodiversity, and also, the conservation of natural resources. Moreover, with the support of our German partners, research is planned to be conducted in the Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti regions, which will be the basis for creating protected areas in the mentioned regions. 

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture will submit a draft law to the Parliament on the establishment of protected areas in the Guria region shortly", said Mr. Otar Shamugia.

According to the Minister, the territory of protected areas has significantly expanded in recent years, making up 13% of the overall territory of the country. The government will actively implement state policy in this direction in the future.

According to Mr. Frank Morschel, the German Bank for Reconstruction and Development (KfW) has a long-standing, successful cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and the Agency for Protected Areas. Mr. Morschel expressed his readiness to actively support the Georgian side regarding the expansion/creation of new protected areas.

The grant agreement "Biodiversity and Sustainable Local Development" was signed in 2022. The project amounts to EUROS 16,245,625. The newly established protected areas in Racha, Shida Kartli, and Kvereti have been selected as target areas. Visitor centers will be built in all three of them, including tourist trails and ranger pathways.