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

print

share

Nino Tandilashvili submitted the Draft Law on the " Creation and Management of the Guria National Park "to the Parliament of Georgia.

A national park will be established in the Guria region, on the territory of Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti municipalities, on more than 15 thousand hectares. 

The First Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili, submitted the draft law on the " Creation and Management of the Guria National Park " at the session of the Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee of the Parliament of Georgia.

" One of our top priorities is to develop protected spaces. In the previous ten years, we have doubled the territory of protected areas, and this process continuous.
The Agency of Protected Areas and the WWF-Caucasus carried out significant works through funding from the Swedish government: - On-site research was carried out to develop a draft law for establishing the Guria National Park. We have actively worked with the local population, embracing public discussions in the municipalities. Guria National Park will be established on the territory of Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti municipalities, covering an area of 15,300 hectares, following consensus-based decision-making processes involving all state agencies. 

92% of the total land area is forest (14 141 hectares), while the rest is mainly alpine meadows. We understand that establishing the protected areas involves certain restrictions, and in this context, I must note that traditional activities like mowing and grazing are not restricted within the national park. I believe that creating a similar national park is crucial for the Guria region regarding regional development", said Mrs. Nino Tandilashvili.

According to the Deputy Minister, the primary goal of the draft law is to increase Guria's ecotourism potential, which is distinguished by its biodiversity, by establishing a park, administering protected areas on-site, establishing a visitor center, and developing ecotourism infrastructure.

The Regional Policy and Self-Government Committee of the Parliament approved the Draft Law of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture in the first reading.