Institutional Framework
Georgian
Ministry of Environment (GMoE) is a main state body of executive power being
responsible for regulating stable use of natural resources and environment protection.
The Ministry co-ordinates international relations and co-operation and activate
of state, scientific and public organisations in this sphere. To provide stable
use of natural resources the Ministry is authorised to specify the quotas for
use of natural resources, to grant licences on the basis the decision adopted
by the expert-licence council. The Ministry should provide formation of information
database in natural resources use sphere and functioning of information systems;
organisation of natural resources state cadastre; agreement of forestry organisation
and development plans; to compile of "Red Book" and "Red List" of Georgia; to
organise environment monitoring system. The Ministry conducts state control
in the environment and natural resources protection sphere.
Department of Biodiversity Protection
It is a structural subdivision of the Ministry, directly responsible for the
implementation of biodiversity protection state policy; State management organisation
for stable use of natural resources; observance of international obligations
in biodiversity protection.
Department for Environment Protection Permission
and State Ecological Expertise
It is responsible for organising environment protection permissions (of devaluating
influence on the environment)and state ecological expertise process; normative
methodological expertise.
Institute of Environment Protection
It conducts activities in directions of biodiversity protection: reproduction
of raise and extinct fish species and scientific research of conservation biology
problems.
Institute of Sea Ecology and Fishing Farms
It is an organisation subject to the Ministry. Its major task being organisation
of scientific research works in water biodiversity condition sphere.
Environment Monitoring Centre
It is in the system of the Ministry, its main task being organisation of state
system of environment monitoring and providing its development. At the regional
level the control is being conducted by the Ministry territorial bodies: the
Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Achara and Abkhazia
Autonomous Republics (of double subjection) and 12 regional services.
Forestry State Department of Georgia
The main Georgian organisation in forestry is the State Forestry Department
(SFD) that is responsible for formulating policies/strategies as well as managing
the forest estate. Its Chairman reports directly to the President of Georgia
and holds a ministerial rank. The SFD is composed of a central office in Tbilisi,
54 district offices, three parks and three nurseries (there are also 12 district
offices in the two autonomous regions of Abkhasian and Acharian. In principle,
these offices report directly to the Chairman). The total staff is composed
of 3,300 people - of whom 50 at the central level. There are also nine "enterprises"
with full managerial autonomy but depending on the SFD for their financing.
These enterprises employ 327 people including 201 professionals. The most important
is Lesoproject, which is in charge of carrying out forest inventories
and management plans (Lesoproject used to be an authority in forest management
planning under the Soviet system. Until recently, it still carried out work
contracts for other ex-soviet states). The total (received) budget of the SFD,
including the enterprises, was Lari 2.8 million (US$ 2.2 million) for 1998 -
of which three-quarters directly provided by the Ministry of Finance. The other
main source of income consisted of revenues from the sales by the district offices
of wood and non-wood products (e.g. logs, fuel wood, fruits and berries).
There are two research institutes, the Mountain Forestry Research Institute
(MFRI) and the Institute of Plant Protection, both under
the jurisdiction of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. The first institute is
directly involved in forestry research - e.g. forest functions, pest control
and soil protection - whereas the second institute mainly deals with agriculture
but is also involved in pest control as it relates to forestry. In the field
of education, the Georgian State Agrarian University produces 25-30 graduates
each year, mainly in forest management and wood processing. There are also two
technical colleges (Borjomi and Kutaisi) producing technicians, mainly in wood
processing.
Another organisation indirectly involved in forestry is MEPNR that has overall
responsibility for the management of natural resources from an environmental
viewpoint. An important matter is that the MEPNR issues the licences for forestry
exploitation rather than the SFD. This reflects the importance that the Government
rightly attaches to the environment but the decisions concerning when/where
to carry out logging could perhaps be better taken by the main institution in
charge of managing the forests. There is finally the State Department for Protected
Areas, Reserves and Hunting (SDPA), that has working relations with the SFD
insofar as hunting is taking place in the forests.
State Department of Protected Territories, Reserves and
Hunting
It is a governmental organisation of executive power accountable directly before
the President of Georgia. The source of department financing is a state budget.
The Department manages protected territories of Georgia, controls observance
of relevant regime in protected territories, conducts measures for planing,
maintenance, protection and restoration of protected territories, organises
monitoring and scientific research works, determines cadastre of protected territories.
The Department co-ordinates the activities of local and international organisations
concerning the issues of protected territories. It consists of central staff
to which there are subject 14 reserves, 5 managed nature reserves, managerial
boards of Borjomi-Kharagauli national park; also the regional supervision services
of the protected territories in Achara and Abkhazia.
Chief Service of Ecological Police
It was founded in 1991, on the basin of fish protection service "Sakshavzghvatevzmsheni"
being of union subject in the Georgian Interior Ministry structure. Its activities
are being conducted through "the regulations of Georgian Interior Ministry ecological
police service" (approved by Georgian Interior Ministry decree of March 4, 1998).
The main task of ecological police is to protect Georgia's environment and natural
resources from criminal violations. In direction of bio-resources protection
the main functions of the ecological police are as follows: light against illegal
fishing and hunting, illegal extraction of forests and green cover.
© UNEP/GRID-Tbilisi, 2000
1, M. Alexidze St. Tbilisi, 380093, GEORGIA
Phone/Fax: (995-32) 942808
E-mail: grid@gridtb.caucasus.net
Last Updated: 24/02/2000