all rights reserved / cenn 2015 cenn.org sustainable forest governance in georgia phase i

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org

Sustainable Forest Governance in GeorgiaPhase I


Project Sustainable Forest Governance in Georgia

Project goal:

To contribute to successful implementation of the forest reform in Georgia via strengthening the capacities of authorities and civil society and enhancing issue based policy dialogue.

Project objectives:

1. Strengthening local capacity to empower affected communities and local authorities to participate effectively in new forest policy formulation and system implementation

2. Enhancing State capacity in sustainable forest governance via strengthening of institutional cooperation between Austria and Georgia

3. Launching and stimulating the structural policy dialogue in the process of development and implementation of a new forest management system

Project Duration: July, 2012 – July, 2015


Geographic area of the project


Target groups

• State authorities at the central level (min. 70 people, 7 agencies)

1. Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection

2. Ministry of Energy

3. Ministry of Agriculture

4. Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure

5. Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development

6. Ministry of Education and Science

7. other central and local state authorities • Competent Parliamentary Committees (20 MPs and 6 committees) on:

1. Environmental Protection and Natural Resources

2. Agrarian Issues

3. Budget and Finance

4. Sector Economy and Economic Policy

5. Regional Policy

6. Self-Government and Mountainous Regions • Local authorities in target regions (70 people, 16 agencies)

• Local NGOs/CBOs, women associations (RWCs), national NGOs active in forest related issues (90 people, 15 organisations), rural schools (70)

• Business companies active in the fields of forestry and natural resources utilization (40 people, 10 companies)


Main directions

Activity 1: Strengthening of local capacities

• Active community mobilization in Open Environmental Civic Initiative (OECI)

• Capacity building of local stakeholders

• Development of public participation mechanisms

• Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM)

• Case studies, development of evidence

Activity 2: Enhancing State capacity and competence

• National Forest Policy, Forest Strategy for Adjara AR

• Forest categorization / strategic zoning

• Sustainable forest management (SFM) planning

• Capacity development of state authorities

Activity 3: Developing structural dialogue for improved forest governance

• Creation and maintenance of issue-based multi-stakeholder dialogue

• Regular multi-stakeholder roundtable meetings, nationwide seminars, conferences

• Community based advocacy and lobbying

• Development of replication strategy


Main Achievements:

Policy Level


Priority setting

Forestry became a priority for Georgia


National Forest Policy Document

National Forest Policy Document was developed in an inclusive and participatory way and approved by the Parliament in December 2013.

Main principles introduced by the Forest Policy:

• Sustainable Management of Forests

• Precautionary principle - to maintain protective functions of forests and their ecological balance

• “All forests are local”

• Principles of separation of regulation, management and supervision function

• Forestry is an integral part of the sustainable development of the country


Strategic Forest Zoning and Categorization

• Forest zoning directive is being elaborated and agreed with stakeholders

• NFA took ownership of the draft document on Forest Zoning and Categorization to be agreed with governmental agencies and approved

• Strategic zoning plan was developed based on Forest Zoning and Categorization document as a pilot pilot initiative


Adjara Forest Strategy

• Work started in 2014 with the support of ADC/CENN/PMCG and USFS/USAID

• Final draft of the Adjara Forest Strategy is agreed

• Guidelines were developed for forest road construction and maintenance (ADC/CENN and USFS/USAID)


National Action Plan for Preserving Buxus Colchica

• Launch of work: nationwide conference in October, 2013, Batumi

• Elaboration of National Action Plan for conservation of Buxus Colchica

• Agreement of the plan with stakeholders – June 3, 2014

• Next steps – preparation of appeal by National Forest Program and presentation of the National Action Plan to the Cabinet of Ministers of Georgia

• Launching implementation of the National Action Plan

• Colchic Box tree - endemic, relict, Georgian Red List, (IUCN status – EN)

• Threatened by the disease caused by fungi Cylindrocladium buxicola

• During 2010-13 almost 95% of the territories in the West Georgia got infected, dried and devastated

2010 2013


Synergies with other initiatives and partners

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection

• Memorandum of Cooperation with NFA / MoENRP

• National Forest Program (NFP):WG 1: Restoration and Protection of ForestsWG 2: Economic Valuation of ForestsWG 3: Human Capacity DevelopmentWG 4: Legislation and Institutional ReformWG 5: Forest Monitoring and Information SystemWG 6: National SFM standards

OBF• Policy documents• Categorization / zoning • SFM planning• Capacity building of state authorities• Knowledge materials

GIZ• Forest categorization / strategic zoning

IUCN / FLEG• Information systems (GIS portal) • Forest disease control activities• Forest categorization / zoning • SFM

WB / FLEG • Forest legislation development


Policy Dialogue


Other actions for changes at the policy level

• Integration of national forest policy priorities in other sectors:

Amendments made to National Biodiversity Strategy

Socio-economic Development Strategy of Georgia - “GEORGIA 2020”

Self-governance reform of Georgia

Georgia Agriculture Strategy

• Evaluation of effectiveness of forest governance using Forest Management Index


Mainstreaming gender issues

• Assessment of Women Engagement in Georgian Forest Sector: Assessment of current trends International best practice on women engagement in forest sector Information from universities, state authorities, private companies Interviews Recommendations for fostering women involvement in forest sector.

• Mainstreaming gender issues in the National Forest Policy Document

• Trainings on gender and environment

• Mobilization, strengthening and consultations with gender organizations

• Work with the Rural Women Councils (RWCs)


Working at the Local Level:Independent Forest Monitoring

(IFM)


Strengthening OECI in regions

Zugdidi Akhaltsikhe

Tsalenjikha Abastumani Tianeti

Project represented by Coordinators and OECI groups (up to 100 people) working in 7 targeted regions


Meetings conducted by OECI in regions

More than 50 regional consultations and thematic meetings conducted by OECI


Regional meetings

Meetings and training on IFM, forest reform, forest policy document, gender, community mobilization, media outreach, self-governance reform and managing community forests, SFM index


Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM)

Baseline Survey

Report on Current Status of the Forest Management in Georgia and its Impact on Population and Recommendations

Objectives: identification of the forest conditions in the regions assessment of the management of the forest and forest fund territories distribution of rights and responsibilities in the forest sector interrelation of socio-economic conditions of the population and use of the

forest resources.

Methods: a questionnaire developed in collaboration with NFA and different experts, statistical analysis, experts’ interpretation of survey results.

Geographic distribution: 1,933 villages of Adjara , Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti, Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti and Lower Kartli regions.


Monitoring Forest Licensees

Training, field visits, interviews, analysis of the documents, task force creation and community led advocacy

Samegrelo – forest function assessment

Mtskheta-Mtianeti - assessment of sustainable forest use


Monitoring Firewood Provision

IFM initiative received responses from the relevant State authorities:• Regional authorities• NFA & MoENRP• Local government• Ministry of Energy• Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure Development• Prime-Minister• Parliament (changes in legislation)


Resort Forests in Bakuriani

Bakuriani, as popular mountainous-climatic resort and skiing resort of international significance, may lose perspective of development; it may significantly affect economy of the country and lead to acute social problems.

Problems: improper management, unplanned forest use, extensive illegal cutting, cutting in resort forest, wrong location for social cutting, absence of access road in the forest.


Riparian (Tugai) Forests in Pirosmani

Research made on:

• Provision of the population with firewood and conservation of Alazani riparian forests

• Visual assessment of Geological engineering conditions and problems caused by floods from the Riv. Alazani on the territory of Pirosmani village (Dedoplistskaro Municipality)


Forests and Disaster Risk Management (DRM)

Problem with allocation of forest cutting area in the landslide prone zone

• Field research

• Establishment of a task force

• Policy dialogue

• Media outreach


Knowledge Materials: Sustainable Methods of Firewood Production

• key principle for sustainable firewood production including: planning, personal safety, equipment, tree cutting and transportation, wood preparation, energy efficiency, simple thermal isolation methods for heating, violations and fines considered by the legislation of Georgia, etc.

• targeted for the foresters as well as general population involved in tree cutting and firewood preparation.

• edited by an international expert and reviewed by NFA

• distributed in the villages of the target regions

• The brochure will be translated in Armenian and used by GIZ project


Pocket field guide of Georgian common trees and shrubs for foresters

• Description• Geographic distribution • Use • Conservation status

Up to 120 species agreed with NFA


Awareness raising activities / work with schools


Media outreach

Thank you

ARMENIACENN

16, Heratsi Str.0025, Yerevan

t/f+37410 57 57 [email protected]

HEAD OFFICE

GEORGIACENN

27, Betlemi Str.0105, Tbilisi

t +99532 275 19 03 / 04f +99532 275 19 05

[email protected]

www.cenn.org

AZERBAIJANCENN

124/128, Gara Garaev Ave.AZ1119, Baku

t +99412 4394113+99412 4743004

f +99412 [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]


http://www.cenn.org/


all rights reserved / cenn 2015 cenn.org sustainable forest governance in georgia phase i

Documents

rights reserved cenn

forest strategy

forest reform

new forest policy formulation

forest related issues

policy level6

structural policy dialogue

local capacity