Grant Agreement nr. WGP2 - 23 GPI 74

Agreement holder: Information-coordination Bureau of International Projects.
Monitoring of Natural Resources (IBIP).
63, Didi digomi3, Tbilisi, Georgia, 0131.

Country/region: Georgia

Activity period: 01-01-03 to 31-12-2003

Documentation and products available:

• Final report with Finance Report
• Technical outputs
1. Peatland inventory with maps
2. Recommendations
• Web-site based outputs: (include hyperlink)

Georgian peatlands cover over 20000 ha and are of high importance to global biodiversity.
Studies of Georgian peatlands started in 1980s, organized from Leningrad. They focused on establishing the strategic store of peat mainly in the industrial mining zones of the Kolkhetti lowlands (in the suburbs of the city Poti). They assumed that there were no industrial or commercial perspectives in other peatlands of Georgia.
After the events of 1989-90 the peat mining near Poti has stopped entirely, and with it the "Leningrad project". Many of the data were lost or "hidden" in archives. Currently there are hardly any scientific agencies in Georgia with the capacity to study peatlands.
Peatlands occur in every physical-geographical region and soil zone of Georgia. As a result of provisional pilot surveys of the IBIP it was estimated that the total area of peatlands could be over 20,000 ha.
Over the last decade peatlands have become seriously threatened as a result of the economic transition of the country. A number of factors impact on peatlands, including the need for energy resources, uncontrolled cutting of wood, disruption of agricultural irrigation systems and also the global climatic changes are considered to affect peatlands. Some peatlands have disappeared, while others have newly developed. The knowledge on peatlands, their diversity, distribution and status so far has been very limited. Many data are available from old archives, but the rapidly changing situation in the country and the linked rapid conversion of peatlands has made it necessary to implement a thorough study of current peatland resources, their values for biodiversity and options to promote their conservation and sustainable management.

Brief project description:

The project would focus in particularly on:

• Identification of the ecological zonation of peatlands and their location
• The poverty situation of the local communities, living and dependent on the peatlands.

The project would implement an inventory of the peatlands of Georgia, resulting in maps of the peatlands and their ecological zones, and a data base including descriptions of the key peatlands in each physical-geographical zone. In addition, the project would attempt to assess the socio-economic role of peatlands. As studies so far have focused very much on the Kolkheti protected areas, the project’s main focus would be on other physical-geographical regions (Javakheti, Meskheti, Smoll Caucasus, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti foothills, Middle Caucasus, Trialet-Loqy, Lory foothills).
Results would be disseminated in Georgian language information materials, and eventually published in the journal of International Peat Society. The information would be used to identify priorities for conservation and further research

The community of Imera village lives of subsistence agriculture. Over the last 12 years the population has by 75%. As a result pressure on the peatlands have decreased.

Peatlands of the Bashkoi, Karakom, Tedjisi and Arj-Sarvan villages are used for agricuktyure and hay making. The main threat to the peatlands ins the trans Caucasian oil pipe line.

Peatlands around the villages of Mamula, Didi Gomareti, Vellispiri, Ganahleba and Sarkimeti are used mainly for grazing, hay making and some agriculture.

The villages Kizil-Kilisa, Burnasheti and Egoisar are sparsely populated. As a result there are not many threats to the surrounding peatlands.

Objectives and results:

1. To update and make available information on the location and distribution on the major peatland types by applying of GIS technology
• Searching for the existing archive information.
• Carry out analysis of available information
2. To evaluate current natural and economic status and define main trends of the development.
• Field research- topographic planning (13 regions).
• Sampling (13regions) and analysis of data.
• Compilation of population data and information on the socio-economic situation
3. To provide descriptive and mapping information on representative peatlands of each type.
• To digitise maps; develop data base structure, develop modern GIS
4. Integration of the information recourses on peatlands into local decision making schemes
• Reporting, editing and translating survey data.
• Publishing the articles in the press; meeting with the local authorities.
5. To provide the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Kolkheti National park management group with all information derived from the project, as well as a set of recommendations for follow-up.

Achieved:

1. A comprehensive peatland inventory was carried out, including compilation of existing data and new field surveys in 13 regions



2. The peatland inventory included information on nearby communities and basic demographic data, as well as their use of the peatlands in the vicinity of their villages.




3. All information was put on digitised maps in a GIS system.



4. Workshops were held in a number of regions with the local authorities to discuss the findings of the inventory. Articles were published in local Georgian language newspapers.


5. The information was made available to the authorities

The project achieved the development of a set of detailed maps from a large number of peatlands in Georgia that were never studied before or previously unknown. As such it has contributed significantly to the knowledge on peatland location and diversity in Georgia. The final report also provides information on the location and population size of local villages, and their utilisation of the peatland resources. As a result of the economic transitions, many villages have seen a drastic decrease in population size and a proportional decrease of the pressure on the peatlands, although some peatlands may be negatively effected by the lack of management of irrigation and drainage systems.
The report also identifies the planned Trans-Caucasian Oil Pipe Line as a potential threat to many of the peatlands.
As a first inventory of peatland in Georgia, the team if IBIP was able to cover a lot of ground with a very limited budget. Follow-up work should concentrate on some of the regions that the team could not visit, and on further work with the local communities and authorities in identifying options for peatland restoration and sustainable use.