Report on Reforestation of Borjomi Forest Published
In 2012 a joint initiative between the Governments of Georgia, Finland and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aimed to bring back life to Borjomi forest, which was heavily damaged by a wild fire in August 2008.
On 29th September 2015 the Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia, Gigla Agulashvili, Manager of the UNDP Regional Hub Europe and the CIS, Rastislav Vrbenski, and Deputy Head of the UNDP on Georgia Shobi Sharp, visited the village of Daba in order to see the result of restoration work to the forest.
During the project, 80 hectares of the burnt forest have been restored with over 120’000 oak, pine and fir tree seedlings being planted, supported by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia, National Forest Agency, Government of Finland and the UNDP.
A further 20 hectares were supported with help from the Government of Austria.
The replanted segments of forest will be maintained by the National Forest Agency with reforestation works being led by the Government of Georgia.
The final results of the restoration should be as follows: 80 hectares of forest have been revived, organic farming has been introduced to the villages in the area and tourist infrastructure has been put in place.
Nina Ioseliani