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Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, Volume 3 Biodiversity GEORGIA ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION NETWORK DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Volume 3 Biodiversity Document 3.1 Project-wide Assessment Prepared for: GSE SLR Ref:901.12.1 Version No: 2 – Final – Disclosure Authorized June 2020 Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment SLR Ref No:901.12.1 Volume 3 Biodiversity, Document 3.1 Project-wide Assessment June 2020 BASIS OF REPORT This document has been prepared by SLR Consulting Limited with reasonable skill, care and diligence, and taking account of the manpower, timescales and resources devoted to it by agreement with GSE (the Client) as part or all of the services it has been appointed by the Client to carry out. It is subject to the terms and conditions of that appointment. SLR shall not be liable for the use of or reliance on any information, advice, recommendations and opinions in this document for any purpose by any person other than the Client. Reliance may be granted to a third party only in the event that SLR and the third party have executed a reliance agreement or collateral warranty. Information reported herein may be based on the interpretation of public domain data collected by SLR, and/or information supplied by the Client and/or its other advisors and associates. These data have been accepted in good faith as being accurate and valid. The copyright and intellectual property in all drawings, reports, specifications, bills of quantities, calculations and other information set out in this report remain vested in SLR unless the terms of appointment state otherwise. This document may contain information of a specialised and/or highly technical nature and the Client is advised to seek clarification on any elements which may be unclear to it. Information, advice, recommendations and opinions in this document should only be relied upon in the context of the whole document and any documents referenced explicitly herein and should then only be used within the context of the appointment. Final – Disclosure Authorized Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment SLR Ref No:901.12.1 Volume 3 Biodiversity, Document 3.1 Project-wide Assessment June 2020 CONTENTS ACRONYMS PREAMBLE INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Structure of the Report ............................................................................................................. 1 POLICY FRAMEWORK ....................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3 2.2 National Legislative and Policy Framework ............................................................................... 3 2.3 International Legislation and Policy .......................................................................................... 5 2.3.1 International Laws and Conventions ............................................................................................................................... 5 2.3.2 European Union (EU) Legislation and Policy in Georgia ................................................................................................. 6 2.3.3 European Union laws ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................................. 9 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 9 3.2 Study Area ................................................................................................................................. 9 3.3 Survey Methodology ............................................................................................................... 10 3.3.1 Desk Study ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10 3.3.2 Field Survey Programme ................................................................................................................................................ 11 3.3.3 Field survey scope .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.4 Biodiversity Feedback and Design ........................................................................................... 15 3.5 Assessment Methodology ....................................................................................................... 15 3.5.1 Critical Habitats and Critical Habitat Assessment Methodology ................................................................................. 16 3.5.2 Priority Biodiversity Features ......................................................................................................................................... 19 3.6 Assessment Limitations ........................................................................................................... 19 PROJECT-WIDE BASELINE INFORMATION ....................................................................... 21 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 21 4.2 General description of Flora/Fauna/Birds ............................................................................... 21 4.3 Protected areas and areas of conservation interest ............................................................... 22 PR6 IDENTIFICATION OF CRITICAL HABITAT AND PRIORITY BIODIVERSITY FEATURES ....... 25 5.1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 25 5.2 Critical Habitat – Evaluation of Presence ................................................................................ 25 . Final – Disclosure Authorized Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) Environmental and Social Impact Assessment SLR Ref No:901.12.1 Volume 3 Biodiversity, Document 3.1 Project-wide Assessment June 2020 5.2.1 Highly-threatened and unique ecosystems .................................................................................................................. 28 5.2.2 Habitats of Significant Importance to Endangered or Critically Endangered Species ................................................ 30 5.2.3 Habitats of Significant Importance to Endemic or Geographically Restricted Species ............................................... 44 5.2.4 Habitats Supporting Globally Significant Migratory or Congretory Species. ............................................................... 44 5.2.5 Areas Associated with Key Evolutionary Processes ...................................................................................................... 46 5.2.6 Ecological Functions ....................................................................................................................................................... 46 5.3 PR6: Identification of Priority Biodiversity Features ................................................................ 46 PROJECT-WIDE IMPACT ASSESSMENT ............................................................................ 49 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 49 6.2 Impact on Flora ....................................................................................................................... 50 6.2.1 Construction Impacts ..................................................................................................................................................... 50 6.2.2 Operational Phase .......................................................................................................................................................... 51 6.3 Impacts on Terrestrial Fauna .................................................................................................. 52 6.3.1 Construction Impacts ..................................................................................................................................................... 52 6.3.2 Operational Impacts ....................................................................................................................................................... 53 6.4 Impacts on Aquatic Fauna ....................................................................................................... 54 6.4.1 Construction Impacts ..................................................................................................................................................... 54 6.5 Impacts on Avi-fauna .............................................................................................................. 54 6.5.1 Construction Impacts ..................................................................................................................................................... 55 6.5.2 Operational Impacts ......................................................................................................................................................
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