Natural parks and protected areas
Georgia is home to a variety of ecosystems: mixed forests, deciduous forests, alpine pastures, wetlands and coastlines. The fauna includes a large number of endangered species, large mammals, reptiles and amphibians, as well as a large number of birds, including the Colchian 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 such as poaching and illegal logging.
Tbilisi National Park, north of the capital, is located on the territory of a former national reserve, Saguramo. The country's oldest park, it is home to some 700 plant species, some of them endemic. It is also home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the brown bear, the northern lynx and the European sparrow hawk.
Mtirala National Park is located in the Adjara region, between sea and mountains. Its name, which means "to weep", recalls the rainfall of the area. The park features wetland ecosystems that are still home to salamanders and Caucasian toads. Visitors can admire magnificent waterfalls surrounded by lush vegetation, colchic boxwood, ferns and ivy. The trails take you through some of the region's most emblematic mixed and deciduous forests. The fauna is extremely varied. In addition to large mammals such as the brown bear, the park is home to great horned owls and booted eagles.
Algeti National Park, in Lower Kartli in the south-east of the country, was created on the territory of a state reserve dating from the Soviet era. It is home to beautiful coniferous forests (Oriental spruce and Caucasus fir).
Bordjomi-Kharagaouli National Park is the country's largest, located in the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus, between the spa towns of Bordjomi and Kharagaouli, from which it takes its name. On a two-day trek called the Panorama Trail, experienced hikers will discover sumptuous landscapes of forests and ridges.
Kolkheti National Park is located on the shores of the Black Sea, in the western part of the country. Its purpose is to protect coastal ecosystems. Its biodiversity is remarkable, and the park is home to numerous species of migratory birds. Birdwatchers will be delighted by the park's birdwatching stations. Lake Paliastomi can also be explored 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 alpine meadows, home to a remarkable flora. Fauna includes East Caucasian goats, chamois and red deer. The main predators are the boreal lynx, gray wolf and brown bear. Birds of prey include the imperial, golden and steppe eagles.
Vashlovani National Park, in the south-east of the country, protects arid steppe ecosystems as well as deciduous forests. Travelers can wander through picturesque landscapes of plains, cliffs and canyons.
Tuchetia National Park, 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, Georgia is subject to seismic risk, as was the case in Tbilisi in 1998 and 2002. Flooding, landslides and avalanches are other hazards in the South Caucasus. They are further exacerbated by human activities, including illegal deforestation, which favours erosion, and climate change, which leads to increased rainfall and melting glaciers. It is estimated that 10,000 ha of arable land have been washed away over the last ten years by these extreme phenomena. The consequence is the displacement of local populations to other parts of the country. These "eco-migrants", as the country calls them, numbered over 60,000 for the period 1981-2010. Failure to take account of these environmental factors, coupled with safety failures at mining facilities, has led to a number of accidents, such as the 2018 landslide at the Tkibuli mine, which killed six people. Ad hoc actions are being taken to protect certain areas from flooding, as in some villages where a program has trained residents to build deep-rooted tree plantations.
A controversial energy choice
The transition to low-carbon energy took place in the 2000s, with the primary aim of achieving energy independence from importing countries, including Russia. Since water is a major resource in the country, over 70 hydroelectric dams have been built and others refurbished. These dams cover around 80% of the country's electricity needs, but remain insufficient, as the country still imports 78% of its energy. In 2017, Georgia joined the European Energy Community as part of its process of rapprochement with the European Union. As such, it is committed to implementing regulations that go hand in hand with actions in the fields of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction. The aim is also to reassure private investors, as environmental issues are not a priority. In fact, renewable energy has ecological and societal impacts. Dams lead to the destruction of fragile ecosystems, but also of traditional agriculture, and with it the disappearance of villages. Demonstrations by local residents against hydropower projects are sometimes vehemently repressed with violence.
The delicate issue of effluent and waste treatment
The Black Sea is a major tourist destination, particularly for the seaside town of Batoumi. It is also the outlet for wastewater from the activities of the various countries that border it (industry, agriculture, domestic water). Only 18% of Batoumi's wastewater is treated before discharge. This means that most of the effluent is discharged untreated into the sea, with its share of bacteria. A link has been established between the bacteria present in the water and the high rate of intestinal diseases. As for waste management, the process of integration into the European Union has prompted the introduction of restrictive regulations and measures, which are still insufficiently applied. The majority of waste is neither sorted nor recycled, and ends up in vast open-air landfills with no soil protection, leading to multiple forms of pollution and environmental and health consequences. By 2021, it was estimated that of the 900,000 items of waste produced annually in the country, more than 75% ended up in landfill sites, only a minority of which had benefited from an environmental impact assessment. The government has also adopted a national waste management plan for the period 2016-2030 with recycling targets, including for businesses. Efforts still need to be made, however, as numerous breaches of the law are still recorded.
Another sensitive and worrying issue is air quality in the cities, especially in the capital, which is among the most polluted in the world, with the prevalence of respiratory illnesses on the rise. The main culprits are industrial emissions and, above all, an outdated fleet of dirty diesel-powered vehicles.
Agriculture: between tradition and innovation
The Georgians are considered history's first winegrowers, with jars dating back eight thousand years having been unearthed by archaeologists. The arable land is fertile, and during the Soviet period the country supplied Moscow and St. Petersburg with wine, fruit and mineral water. After the end of the Communist era, however, agricultural production collapsed, with a reduction in output. Neglected during the economic liberalism of the 2000s, when it was relegated to a subsistence activity, it has now become a priority once again. The European Union supports the development of organic farming, which combines tradition and innovation (wine, milk, hazelnuts, etc.) for an almost exclusively European market, as Georgians generally do not have sufficient income to consume organic produce. Nevertheless, Georgians attach great importance to natural agriculture.
Wine on Mars
This is not fake news, but a scientific project called IX Millenium. 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 recreating Mars conditions with bacteria capable of adapting to this environment. Beyond the exhilarating aspect of the project, however, we may well question the relevance of developing such a program - human life on Mars remains an unviable hypothesis to this day - and the urgent need is to keep our little blue planet in good health..
