Capacity development for UNESCO biosphere reserve establishment in Kakheti, Georgia
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Capacity development for UNESCO biosphere
reserve establishment in Kakheti, Georgia
UNESCO biosphere reserves in Georgia Capacity development measures
The UNESCO MAB programme has not been Two local working groups were formed to work on
implemented in any of the South Caucasus countries preparing the BR establishment in Kakheti, one in
up to now. An initiative to establish a UNESCO Akhmeta-Telavi as the northern cluster of the
biosphere reserve (BR) in Georgia was launched in planned BR, and one in Dedoplistskaro as the
2015. After a countrywide screening for potential areas southern cluster. Various capacity development
in Georgia in 2015, Kakheti region was prioritised and measures were implemented, focusing on the local
considered as the most ready and suitable to start the working groups as well as interlinking local and
development of a BR. The subsequent feasibility study national stakeholders, supporting the work of the
focusing on the areas of Akhmeta-Telavi and stakeholders and its outcome. These measures
Dedoplistskaro showed that there is a limited covered presentations on BR functions and their
understanding of the UNESCO BR concept as well as practical examples, information meetings with
limited capacities to implement a BR development different groups of local stakeholders as well as
process and related projects among stakeholders on exchange and advisory visits of BR heads from the
all levels. For addressing this, the project “Biosphere BRs Rhön and Bliesgau in Germany and from the BR
Reserves as model regions for climate change Lower Morava in Czech Republic.
mitigation and adaptation - capacity development for In addition, a 7-day study tour titled “Learning from
the establishment of a biosphere reserve in Kakheti” the practice of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves” to BR
was implemented by the Regional Environmental Rhön and BR Lower Morava was conducted, co-
Centre for the Caucasus, Michael Succow Foundation funded by Caucasus Nature Fund and the Biosphere
and the Minstry of Environment and Natural Reserve Rhön/Thuringia in Germany. The study tour
Resources Protection (MoENRP) of Georgia, funded participants learned about BR management and
by the German Ministry of Environment, Nature participation mechanisms, territorial arrangements
Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) via GIZ. and zonation, aspects of financing, the process of BR
The goals of the project were to strengthen the establishment as well as benefits for the local
knowledge and capacities of the target group and population. Furthermore, the participants got to see
partners at different level concerning specific topics practical examples of projects and cooperation
and challenges of BR development, to facilitate the between stakeholders.
formation of a local initiative to push BR development,
to strengthen the inter-sectorial cooperation on the
national level and its exchange with stakeholders on
the local level, and to prepare an implementation plan
for BR establishment in Kakheti, including
recommendations for management structure and
zonation.
Photo 1: Study tour participants discussing final recommendations
for BR development in Kakheti (Photo: S.Hirschelmann)
This resulted in the formation of another active 1) management by a non-entrepreneurial (non-
working group interlinking different levels and sectors commercial) legal entity N(N)LE to be established by
which agreed on a joint vision for BR establishment relevant governmental institutions, local authorities
and continued to stay in contact to exchange about and local NGOs, and 2) management by a legal entity
issues of BR development beyond the study tour. of public law (LEPL) to be established by the
Government of Georgia. The recommendation of the
These capacity development measures as a whole
consultant, based on stakeholder consultations, is to
resulted in a significantly improved understanding of
implement the first option, i.e. establishing an N(N)LE
the BR concept and its practical implementation
for the management of the planned BR (see Figure 1).
among all involved stakeholders, who by now form a
The working group for BR establishment in the
trained and well-prepared pool of multiplicators of the
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture
MAB approach.
of Georgia (MoEPA), which met on 28th of February
Conceptual framework 2018, supports following up on this recommendation.
Further recommendations were provided in order to
The project initiated and supported regular meetings reactivate the MAB National Committee and to help
of the local working groups, which worked on defining enforce its efficiency.
objectives and priority fields of action of the BR. The
priority fields of action were defined for the topics of Regarding the legal framework, several possible
biodiversity and natural resources, tourism and approaches were discussed during the project. The
agriculture as well as education, research and option of adopting a separate law on the topic of BRs
monitoring. Based on that, objectives for the planned was discarded for the time being. Further options
BR were formulated, which focus on the promotion of include possible amendments to the “Law on the
sustainable use of the natural and cultural resources System of Protected Areas” as well as the draft law on
for the economic development of the local population, Biodiversity, currently under development. The Forest
conservation of biodiversity and natural resources and Biodiversity Policy Service under MoEPA
and the support of sustainable development of the announced to take the lead to include the regulation
region by research, education and monitoring as of the issue of BRs in the draft law on biodiversity.
cross-cutting issues.
Recommendations for the BR
In collaboration with the GIZ IBiS programme,
external experts were assigned to develop implementation phase
recommendations for the management structure of
Based on the results of the local working groups as
the planned BR as well as amendments of the current
well as the recommendations of the consulted
legislative framework, which were afterwards
experts, an implementation plan for the next steps of
discussed with the stakeholders. The governance
actual establishment of the BR and its development
expert Anna Rukhadze developed a policy paper with
towards a nomination by UNESCO was elaborated
recommendations for BR management in Kakheti.
and agreed on with stakeholders. The design concept
Two options are included in this policy paper:
for the implementation phase includes formulated
Figure 1: Proposed management structure for the planned BR in Kakheti (compilation by Ana Rukhadze)
objectives, suggestions for work packages and It is suggested to take three years for the
activities, an overview of relevant stakeholders, a implementation phase with a budget of up to 2 Mio.
timetable and a budget estimation for its EUR in order to establish the BR not only on paper,
implementation, if the frame was a project of three but also in practice, enabling stakeholders and the
years. The overall goal of the implementation phase population in the BR to experience the functions and
should be the participatory preparation and values of a UNESCO BR. Even if not all of the
submission of a proposal for a cluster biosphere suggested components are stringently required by
reserve in Kakheti region that meets the requirements UNESCO for the nomination, the full set of activities
for recognition as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The can be regarded as necessary for implementing a
final output of the implementation phase should be the successful and comprehensive BR establishment.
BR nomination dossier being handed over to the Different components of the implementation plan can
UNESCO MAB secretariat. be taken over by different donors in the frame of
several projects. Pilot projects and measures of other
organisations should be integrated and connected to
fulfil these objectives.
Photo 2: Stakeholders from national and local level discussing
during final workshop in MoEPA (Photo: RECC)
The suggested objectives of the phase are 1) the
establishment of the legal and institutional framework,
2) the completion of the conceptual development of
the BR, 3) the development of the conservation Photo 3: Exchange visit of (from left to right) the head of BR
function of the BR, 4) the development of the BR Bliesgau (Germany), the governor of Kakheti and head of the Forest
Policy and Biodiversity Department of the Ministry of Environment
function of sustainable development, 5) the and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia - Karlo Amirgulashvili
development of the logistic support function of the BR, with members of local working groups (Photo: Sophie
and 6) the completion of the application for UNESCO Hirschelmann)
recognition. For each of the objectives work packages
with several activities and specific recommendations
are suggested. The legal and institutional framework
includes the set-up of a management structure and
the preparation of the necessary statutory
instruments. For the conceptual development, it is
recommended to conduct a land use assessment and
planning as well as to elaborate a management plan
including the identification of borders and the zonation
of the BR. For the development of the three functions
of the BR it is recommended to elaborate concepts,
action plans and moreover, practical measures and
pilot projects, e.g. BR brand development,
sustainable forest use demonstration measures,
development of a livestock migration corridor, public
awareness campaigns or development of educational Compiled by: Michael Succow Foundation,
programs. For the compilation of the nomination file, Ellernholzstraße 1/3, 17489 Greifswald (Germany),
it is recommended to form a functional MAB National sophie.hirschelmann@succow-stiftung.de, May 2018
Committee. www.succow-stiftung.de
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