Natural parks and protected areas
Georgia is home to a variety of ecosystems: mixed forests, deciduous forests, mountain pastures, wetlands, coastlines. The fauna includes a large number of endangered species, large mammals, reptiles and amphibians, but also a large number of birds, including the Colchid pheasant, named after an ancient region of the country. Flora and fauna are also present with rare and endemic species. The country's national parks and nature reserves are dedicated to preserving these fragile and remarkable areas, threatened by human activities, including poaching and illegal logging.
The Tbilisi National Park, north of the capital, is located on the territory of a former national reserve, the Saguramo NationalPark. The oldest park in the country, it contains almost 700 plant species, some of which are endemic. It is also home to a variety of wildlife, such as brown bears, boreal lynx and European hawks.
The Mtirala National Park is located in the region of Adjaria, between the sea and the mountains. Its name, which means "to cry", would remind us of the rainfall of the place. The park has wetland ecosystems where salamanders and Caucasian toads still live. Visitors will be able to admire magnificent waterfalls surrounded by lush vegetation, colchicum boxwood, ferns and ivy. The trails will lead you through some of the most emblematic mixed and deciduous forests in the region. The fauna is very varied. In addition to large mammals such as brown bears, the park is home to great horned owls and booted eagles.
The Algeti National Park, in Lower Kartli in the south-east of the country, was created on the territory of a state reserve from the Soviet era. It is home to beautiful coniferous forests (Eastern spruces and Caucasian firs).
The Bordjomi-Kharagaouli National Park is the largest in the country, located in a mountainous area (Lesser Caucasus Mountains), between the spa towns of Bordjomi and Kharagaouli, which give it its name. The seasoned hiker will be able to discover during a two-day trek called Panorama Trail of sumptuous landscapes of forests and ridges.
Kolkheti National Park is located on the Black Sea in the western part of the country. It is dedicated to the protection of coastal ecosystems. The biodiversity is indeed remarkable, the park is home to many species of migratory birds. Ornithology enthusiasts will find their happiness thanks to observation stations. Lake Paliastomi can also be discovered by kayak.
Lagodekhi National Park is home to two protected areas in Kakhetia, in the north-east of the country, not far from the border with Azerbaijan and Dagestan. The protected ecosystems are forests and mountain pastures that are home to remarkable flora. The park's fauna includes East Caucasian goats, chamois and red deer. The main predators are the boreal lynx, grey wolf and brown bear. There are also raptors such as imperial, golden and steppe eagles.
Vachlovani National Park , in the southeast of the country, protects arid steppe ecosystems as well as deciduous forests. The traveller will be able to wander through picturesque landscapes of plains, cliffs and canyons.
The Touchétie National Park, located in the east of the country, is home to pine forests and birch groves. It protects the habitat of the Anatolian leopard, bear, wolf, chamois and golden eagle.
Natural and anthropic risks and eco-migrations
Situated on the Caucasian fault line, Georgia is subject to seismic risk, as was the case in Tbilisi in 1998 and 2002. Floods, landslides and avalanches are also risks in the South Caucasus. They are further accentuated by human activities, including illegal deforestation which promotes erosion, but also climate change which leads to increased rainfall and melting glaciers. An estimated 10,000 ha of arable land has been lost over the last ten years as a result of these extreme events. The consequence is the displacement of local populations to other parts of the country. These "eco-migrants", according to the term in use in the country, represent more than 60,000 people for the period 1981-2010. Failure to take into account these environmental factors correlated with a failure of safety in mining facilities is the cause of several accidents, such as the landslide that occurred in 2018 in the Tkibuli mine, causing the death of six people. Specific actions are being implemented to protect certain areas from flooding, such as in some villages where a programme has trained the inhabitants in the construction of deep-rooted tree plantations.
A controversial energy choice
The transition to decarbonised energy took place in the 2000s, primarily with a view to energy independence from importing countries, including Russia. As water resources are very present in the country, more than 70 hydroelectric dams have been built and others refurbished. These cover about 80% of the country's electricity needs, but are still insufficient since it still imports 78% of its energy. Georgia joined the European Energy Community in 2017 as part of its process of rapprochement with the European Union. As part of this process, Georgia has committed itself to implementing regulations with actions on energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. The aim is also to reassure private investors, since the environmental issue itself is not a priority. Precisely, this renewable energy induces ecological and societal impacts. Dams lead to the destruction of fragile ecosystems, but also of traditional agriculture, and by the same token the disappearance of villages. Demonstrations by inhabitants take place to protest against hydraulic projects, sometimes vehemently and violently repressed.
The delicate issue of effluent and waste treatment
The Black Sea is a mecca for tourism, especially the seaside town of Batoumi. It is also an outlet for the waste water from the activities of the various countries that border it (industry, agriculture, domestic water). Only 18% of Batoumi's wastewater would be treated before discharge. This means that a majority of this effluent is discharged as is into the sea, with its batch of bacteria. A link has been established between the bacteria present in the water and the high rate of intestinal diseases. With regard to waste management, the process of integration in the European Union has led to the introduction of binding regulations and measures, which for the time being are still insufficiently applied. The majority of waste is neither sorted nor recovered and ends up in large open dumps without soil protection, which causes a great deal of pollution and has environmental and health consequences. In 2018, it was estimated that of the 900,000 wastes produced annually in the country, more than 75 per cent ended up in these landfills, of which only 5 out of 56 would have benefited from an environmental impact assessment. To remedy this situation, the country planned to close these sites by 2023 and to create 10 new landfill sites. The government has also adopted a national waste management plan for the period 2016-2030 with targets for recycling, including businesses. Efforts remain to be made, as many violations of the law are still recorded (566 in 2018). Another sensitive and worrying issue is urban air quality, mainly in the capital, which is among the most polluted in the world, with an increasing prevalence of respiratory diseases. The focus is on industrial emissions, but above all on the obsolete fleet of cars running on dirty diesel.
Agriculture: between tradition and innovation
The Georgians are considered to be the first winemakers in history, with jars dating back eight thousand years having been unearthed by archaeology. The arable land is fertile and during the Soviet period the country supplied Moscow and St. Petersburg with wine, fruit and mineral water. However, after the end of the communist era, there was a major agricultural collapse, with a contraction in production. It was neglected during the period of economic liberalism in the 2000s, when it was relegated to a subsistence activity, and has now become a priority again. The European Union supports the development of organic farming that combines tradition and innovation (wine, milk, hazelnuts, etc.) for an almost exclusively European market, as Georgians do not have sufficient income to consume organic farming products.
Wine on Mars
This is not fake news but a scientific project, called IX Millennium. Led by a consortium of Georgian scientists and investors, the aim is to study the feasibility of growing vines on the red planet, based on laboratory experiments in which the conditions on Mars are recreated with bacteria capable of adapting to this environment. Beyond the exhilarating aspect of the project, however, one may wonder about the relevance of developing such a program - human life on Mars remains to this day an unviable hypothesis - and the urgency being rather to maintain the health of our little blue planet..
