All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Sustainable Forest Governance in Georgia Phase I

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Geographic area of the project

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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)

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Main Achievements: Policy Level

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Priority setting Forestry became a priority for Georgia

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org National Forest Policy Document National Forest Policy Document was developed in an inclusive and participatory way and approved by the Parliament in December 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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)

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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 almost 95% of the territories in the West Georgia got infected, dried and devastated

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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 Forests WG 2: Economic Valuation of Forests WG 3: Human Capacity Development WG 4: Legislation and Institutional Reform WG 5: Forest Monitoring and Information System WG 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Policy Dialogue

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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)

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Working at the Local Level: Independent Forest Monitoring (IFM)

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Strengthening OECI in regions ZugdidiAkhaltsikhe Tsalenjikha Abastumani Tianeti Project represented by Coordinators and OECI groups (up to 100 people) working in 7 targeted regions

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Meetings conducted by OECI in regions More than 50 regional consultations and thematic meetings conducted by OECI

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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.

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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)

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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.

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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 )

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org 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

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Pocket field guide of Georgian common trees and shrubs for foresters Description Geographic distribution Use Conservation status Up to 120 species agreed with NFA

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Awareness raising activities / work with schools

All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org Media outreach

Thank you ARMENIA CENN 16, Heratsi Str. 0025, Yerevan t/f HEAD OFFICE GEORGIA CENN 27, Betlemi Str. 0105, Tbilisi t / 04 f AZERBAIJAN CENN 124/128, Gara Garaev Ave. AZ1119, Baku t f All rights reserved / CENN 2015 CENN.org