International 
Climate-Tolerant Restoration of Degraded Bioregions in Southern Caucasus
As of: January 2021
The project restored degraded landscapes, taking into account future climatic changes. This included introducing drought-resistant permanent crops, reforestation and planting to provide erosion protection. It supported communities and districts in the pilot regions in developing and implementing appropriate policies and identifyied sustainable land-use strategies.
State of implementation/results
- Project completed
- In conjunction with the forestry ministry, the legal framework for establishing demonstration models was improved
- Reforestation models in pilot regions in Kakheti were developed and implemented: model rehabilitation of about 38 kilometres of degraded plantings to provide protection against wind; over 100 hectares of mixed forest consisting of native, climate-adapted tree species were planted on degraded pasture land
- Field studies were carried out to estimate the potential of the planting for CO2 storage: CO2 reduction by 2040 is likely to be 162 tonnes per hectare through biomass and 99 tonnes per hectare in the soil
- Training and technical equipment for producing high-quality seed and propagating material delivered
- Political decision-makers were sensitised to the issue of combating landscape degradation, e.g. through radio and television programmes, press releases and project visits (including by Georgia's environment minister)
- A process of multi-country sharing of information and experience in the Southern Caucasus has been instigated, including cooperation with the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus)
Project data
- Country:
- Georgia
- Implementing organisation:
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
- Political partner(s):
- Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MoEPA) - Georgia
- Implementing partner(s):
- Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) - Georgia
- Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MoEPA) - Georgia
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - Caucasus
- BMU grant:
- 1.852.519,32 €
- Duration:
- 11/2008 till 03/2012
