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

print

share

The Parliament of Georgia adopted the draft law "On Water Resources Management" and the related package of Legislative Amendments.

Reforming the field of water resources management is a crucial step towards fulfilling obligations under the EU-Georgia Association Agreement, which calls for the transformation of existing legal principles in water resources management and their conformity with international approaches and EU directives.

The reform aims to establish legal bases for water resource management to ensure the implementation of a unified state policy in water resources protection and use, the creation of a safe environment for human health, and water resources protection and sustainable use following integrated principles.

The enforcement of the new law will result in adopting the river basin management model, and restoring the special permit regime for water usage, making water resource management more effective and efficient.

In addition, the competencies of the authorized bodies will be separated based on the draft law, including prioritization of water usage within river basins; restoration of the permit system for water abstraction from surface water bodies, and discharge of wastewater into surface water bodies; Restoration of water abstraction fees from surface water bodies (concept " on fees for the use of natural resources'' ).

From September 1, 2026, the norms established by the draft law, will be implemented in the entire territory of Georgia.

The draft law is in line with EU water legislation and reflects the approaches and requirements of the top EU directives.
The draft law "On Water Resources Management" was drafted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, with the support of the European Union (EU), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and various public agencies, civil society, and private sector representatives, and developed in close cooperation with international partners.