Protected Areas

• Nature Reserves
• Managed Nature Reserves
• New Approaches

Data source: State Department for Statistics


Further in Georgia exist several types of protected areas in particular: health resorts zone forests (115 100 ha), green zone (265 700 ha).

Nature Reserves

Nowadays there are 20 reserves in Georgia (administratively united with 14 state reserves), total area is 169 thousand ha, which is 2.4% of total territory of the country. Reserves are formed on state forest fund base, and as a result vegetation formation forests (83%) represent them.

The activity of the division and scientific research of the reserve is co-ordinated by scientific council joined with main Department of the Reserves and Hunting Farms.

According to the 1996 data, there are 9417 species of plants (including 338 rare), 287 of animals, 571 of birds and 24 of fish in nature reserves (State Department for Statistics). The reserves are defined to protect several relict and endemic species of flora and fauna. Unfortunately, nowadays most reserves are at the edge of extinction. From vegetation there are mentioned: Mountain beech (Fagus orientalis), oak (Quercus iberica, Q. macranthera, Q. pedunculiflora, Q. imeretina, Q. pontica), hornbeam (Carpinus caucasica), chestnut (Castanea savita), alder (Alnus barbata), fir (Abies normanniana), spruce (Picea orientalis), pine (Pinus colchiana, P. pityusa), yew (Taxus baccata), birch (Betula litwinowii, B. raddeana, B. medvedewii, B. megrelica), juniper (Juniperus foetidisama, J. polycarpos), pistachio (Pistacia mutica) etc. Relict and endemic species: Pitsundian pine (Pinus pityusa), Kolkhic boxwood (Buxus colchica), cherry-laurel (Laurocerasus officinalis), holly (Ilex colchica), Zelkva (Zelkova carpinifolia),

bladder-nut (Staphylea colchica), Kolkhic nut (Corylus colchica), rhododendrons (Rhododendron ponticum, Rh. luteum, Rh. caucasicum, Rh. ungernii, Rh. smirnowii) etc. From animals: bear, lynx, wolf, wild boars, deer, roe, Caucasian squirrels, striped hyena (Hyaenea hyaenea), bezoar (Capra aegagrus), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), mountain eagles (Aquila chrysaetus, A. heliaca, A. rapax, Heliaeetus albicilla, etc.), griffins (Aegipius monachus, Gyps fulvus, Gypaetus barbatus), black stork (Ciconia nigra), white stork, grey, white and night herons, grey geese, wild ducks etc. Relict and endemic species: Caucasian goat (Capra caucasica), Caucasian health-cook (Lyrurus mlocosiewiczi), Kolkhic pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) etc.

In the reserves activities were carried out in two directions: protection of the regime of the reserve, and scientific research. In recent years the expenses considerably reduced for reserves maintenance along with the staff members amount, control over the reserves has become weaker. In result, there are frequent cases of cattle graze in them, illegal wood cutting, hunting and so on. Scientific research works have reduced considerably as well. It should be mentioned that it is impossible to determine the amount of plants and animals on the scientific level and so on. The regime of the reserve needs to be restored in Pontos unequal oak grove and ex-reserve of Tsiskara's territory, which was abolished before.

The reserves have no buffer zones; thus, the anthropogenic influence on them is rather high. The territories surrounding the reserves is densely populated and in these unprotected areas and there are frequent cases of agricultural land plots introduced in them. The resort industry of the Soviet period incurred great damage to the reserves, the most damaged along them being the coastline reserves: Ritsa, Bichvinta-Miusera and Skurcha whose intensive building of summer and tourist cottages took place. All this caused great problems to observance of the regime in the reserves. In result of the war in Abkhazia the reserves there have probably been damaged greatly: there is no information available on them from 1991.

1. Algeti 2. Akhmeta 3. Ajameti 4. Bichvinta-Miusera 5. Borjomi 6. Vashlovani 7. Kintrishi 8. Kolkheti 9. Lagodekhi 10. Mariamjvari 11. Saguramo 12. Sataplia 13. Ritsa 14. Pskhu-Gumista 15. Kazbegi 16. Tbilisi National Park

This it not managed to fully protected natural ecosystems in the reserves of Georgia. A new system corresponding to the international standards should be organised. The work has been underway in this direction in Georgia since 1990 to form a new system of protected territories. The already existing reserves will be involved in it without any changes.

There are 5 managed nature reserves (formerly hunting farms before 1999) in Georgia: Korugi (Sagarejo district), Iori (Signagi district), Chachuni (Dedoplistskaro district), Katsoburi (Abasha district) and Gardabani.

New Approaches

Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park
Kolkheti National Park

In 1990, before the expected onset of broad privatisation of state territories, with the aid of WWF and other donor organisations Georgia adopted to measures for planning and establishment of the modern system of protected areas. The existed protected territories will be inoculated and rejoined organically and untangle further to the modern international request equal system of reserves. In March 7, 1996 Georgian Parliament declared the law on Protected Areas.

The definition of each category of protected areas is given in the law, and the requirements are set for the selection and arrangement of natural objects and territories. These requirements meet the needs of nature conservation in Georgia and the recommendations of the World Conservation Union - IUCN.

The categories included in the law are as follow:

• Nature Reserve
• National Park
• Natural Monument
• Managed Nature Reserve
• Protected Landscape Support Zone
• Biosphere Reserve
• World Heritage Unit

In April 3, 1997 in connection with the campaign "Planet of Life WWF-2000" the President of Georgia made a statement that "Georgia expresses readiness by 2000 to offer the globe as a present protected areas of different categories legalised on 20% of its natural territories and high legislative norms of environment protection and stable development being in effect all over the country". On the basis of the statement, the efforts of the Georgian Ministry of Environment (GMoE) and the support of the German government, the German Reconstruction Credit Bank (KfW) allotted a grant in 1998 for founding the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. A relevant governmental agreement was concluded in connection with this.

Similar comprehensive management plans were elaborated for Eastern Caucasus and Iori Plateau regions. With the participation of the World Bank and GEF management guidelines have been designed for Kolkheti National Park. At present, a search is underway for the donors to assist in forming Achara Regional Park "Mtirala".




Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park

In 1992-1998 Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park management plan was worked out; it is completed through taking into account new approaches to forming modern protected areas. This implies installation of protected area wide infrastructure, its equipping, staff training and so on. Special attention is paid to national park adjacent zone where it is foreseen to conduct measures for promoting stable socio-economic development with the aim of reducing the influence of the population.

Formation of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park attracted attention due to the following reason:

• The region is a junction of 4 different bio-geographic units (Kolkhetian, Caucasian, Front Asian and Minor Asian), determining its unique and high level of biodiversity
• A territory well preserved for half a century exists in the region - Borjomi to which there are preserved virgin sections of wild nature
• The region possesses rather high tourist-recreation potential and tradition to use it.

On the presidential decree of May 21, 1998, for co-operation with the German government in the sphere of environment and natural resources these was formed a co-ordinating Council at the GMoE to observe the obligations. Its major function is to promote measures undertaken for efficient functioning of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. Chairman of the Council is the Minister herself. The Council members are responsible employees of the relevant governmental services, governors of 5 regions (Borjomi, Kharagauli, Akhaltsikhe, Baghdati, and Khashuri) and a representative of the WWF.

The programme for formation of Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park involves 3 projects:

1. Infrastructure establishment. The state department for protected areas, reserves and hunting farms is responsible for this; consulting organisation - WWF;
2. Training and ecological education programme. Its aim is park staff training in Georgia and abroad to master the modern principles and methods for protected areas management, wild nature protection, work with the visitors and so on. WWF is an introduced of this component;
3. Subsidiary zone programme. To develop the park subsidiary zone and additional project was worked out; the international consulting company GOPA was charged with submitting a report on research which foresees the following.

• To determine infrastructure rehabilitation priority measures for 5 regions of a subsidiary zone and after outlining the projects to present a report on their implementation
• To outline priority measures for promoting development of economy in the project region.

Kolkheti National Park


From May 1999 the WB project is being implemented on Georgia's Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). The project term is 6 years and is being implemented by the ICZM Centre. One of the project components concerns formation and management of two protected areas: Kolkheti National Park and Kobuleti state reserve (partially on GEF grant).

The project foresees integration of interests of two wetlands conservation with ICZM. The territories mentioned above have been granted the status of International Importance Wetland. They are shelters for rare and endemic flora of quarternasy period and habitats for numerous species of birds.

At present these ecosystems are facing great danger due to the influence of such activities as drawing of wetlands for agricultural and settlement use, illegal timber production, illegal hunting, peat and gravel production, pollution, invasion of non-local species.

World Wild Found for Nature conservation programme (WWF) in 1992 identified Kolkheti wetlands as one of the Georgia's 7 potential national parks. In 1994 they worked out the management principles for park formation. In this Black Sea Environment Programme (BSEP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) supported them. From January 1999 the law was in effect on formation and of Kolkheti protected area.

Within the project the national park infrastructure formation will be supported: environment protection education; habitats restoration; land use planning research; biodiversity monitoring and applied research. At present ICZM centre starts selecting a Georgian consulting company with will propose a management plan for Kolkheti protected area. After evaluating the influence on the environment it will start financing specific activities in agreement with different services.


Kolkheti Wetland
Kobuleti Wetland (Ispani II)


On April 30, 1996 the Parliament of Georgia adopted a decree on "the International Importance Wetland, especially, useful for water-flow settlement", in connection with joining the Ramsar Convention. Its list involves Central Kolkheti Wetland (Churia, Nabada, Pichora-Paliastomi marshes, Paliastomi lake and their adjacent territories and sea water area) with total area of 55.5 thousand ha, in the Black Sea coastal zone, at the river Rioni mouth, Khobi, Lanchkhuti administrative regions and the territory subject to Poti.

Kolkheti Wetland

Kolkheti Wetland involves the Black Sea coastline - Guria and Samegrelo regions and Poti with 45459 ha territory. It differs with peat layers; excessive humidity is rich in relict and endemic species of flora and fauna, waters-full rivers and lakes. It involves Kolkheti state reserve. The average height of the territory is 1.2 m above the sea level, annual sum of precipitation 1500-1700 mm, average annual temperature 14 C. Sea sand-pebbles coastline plants, grassy sphagnum marshes rush marshes, azalea marshes, marshy alders, humid alders, humid hornbeam-alder groves and so on, represent vegetation. Fling birds of international importance: heliaetos albicilla, pondion haliaetus and so on. Winter birds: anas strepera, cygnus cygnus, aythya ferina, aythya mariba, bucephala clangula, pelecanus crispus. The mammals of international importance: lutra lutra, tursiops truncatus, delphinus delphis, phocoena phocoena and so on. From the fish acipenser sturio should be mentioned.


Kobuleti Wetland (Ispani II)

Kobuleti Wetland is located in Achara at 1-km distance from the Black Sea coastline near Kobuleti with the area of 512.8 ha. It is of upper marsh type and differs with especially florist content. The average height of the territory is 3.5 m above the sea level, annual sum of precipitation 1500-1700 mm, average annual temperature 14 C. Vegetation is represented with grass-sphagnum marsh, bush-grassy marsh and marshy plants. Fling birds of international importance: anas strepera, melanita fusca, netta rufina and so on. Resident birds of international importance - pandion haliaetas, and of local importance - phasianus colchicus.

© UNEP/GRID-Tbilisi, 2000

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Last Updated: 24/02/2000