Georgia: A meeting was held on the Georgia’s National Forest Program (NFP) process. The Deputy Minister of Environment and Agriculture, Kakha Kakabadze, attended the meeting.
The meeting presented information about activities to promote alternative fuel production and use in Georgia, legislative changes, and opportunities to develop a solid alternative fuel supply.
Kakha Kakabadze emphasized, “The Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, in a strong collaborative effort with the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, and with the invaluable support of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the “Green Climate Fund” (GCF), is driving the implementation of project ECO in Georgia. Our shared goal is to promote sustainable forest management principles. “
Minister Kakabadze said, “At the same time, the project also aims to develop an alternative fuel market, which should contribute to the effective use of the fragile forest resources and the establishment of a system of wise firewood consumption in Georgia.”
Kakha Kakabadze said, “This approach should reduce pressure and degradation on the forest. It is worth noting that the National Forest Agency has developed a flexible mechanism for grading manufactured timber and prepared a legislative draft, which we discussed at the meeting.”
“The new mechanism, in turn, will promote sustainable use of wood and forest and at the same time, the development of alternative fuel production,” noted Kakha Kakabadze.
The Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture agencies, scientific representatives, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders attended the meeting.
Georgia’s National Forest Program process
In Georgia, the program focuses on priority topics such as supporting forest sector reform through the introduction of close-to-nature sustainable forest management, energy security in rural areas, and the framework conditions for the sustainable and biodiversity-friendly use of forest resources.
The National Forest Program (NFP) process, encompassing the representatives of governmental and non-governmental sectors, professionals, and academia, aims to improve framework conditions by supporting proposals for administrative procedures to implement ecosystem-based forest management and strengthen the political and administrative conditions.
