Guria, Georgia: The Minister of Environment and Agriculture, Otar Shamugia, announced today that the government had approved a project to create a new protected area – Guria National Park – in the Guria region of western Georgia.
The project, which was presented to the public after a government meeting, aims to establish a national park on an area of about 15,000 hectares, covering parts of Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti municipalities. The minister said the project was based on extensive research and consultations with the local communities.
Otar Shamugia said that the development of protected areas was one of the government’s priority directions and that the number of protected areas had doubled in the past ten years.
He added that the Guria National Park would be necessary for the conservation of the local biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as for the enhancement of the socio-economic conditions of the local population, especially in the field of ecotourism.
The Guria region in western Georgia is set to become home to a new national park, which aims to conserve the area’s rich biodiversity and natural resources.
The draft law on creating the Guria National Park was presented to the public in a meeting attended by local authorities, residents, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
After research and preparatory work in Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti municipalities, the final boundaries of Guria National Park have been marked.
The project is supported by the Agency of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Tbilisi Office, and the Embassy of Sweden.
The Guria region, which borders the Black Sea, is known for its rich natural and cultural heritage and is considered a key biodiversity area of the Caucasus. The creation of the Guria National Park is expected to boost the region’s environmental protection and tourism development.
