THE BIODIVERSITY FINANCE PLAN The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) – Georgia THE BIODIVERSITY FINANCE PLAN The Biodiversity Finance Initiative2018 (BIOFIN) – Georgia 2018 THE BIODIVERSITY FINANCE PLAN The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) – Georgia 2018 THE BIODIVERSITY FINANCE PLAN The Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) – Georgia Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and United Nations Development Programme, 2018. Tbilisi, Georgia. Biodiversity Finance Initiative – Georgia: The Biodiversity Finance Plan. Final Report written by Tornike Phulariani, Levan Inashvili, Dimitri Papashvili, Gigla Ramishvili and Hugo Van Zyl. (88 Pages). Available from: http://www.ge.undp.org/content/georgia/en/home/projects/biodiversity-finance-initiative--biofin-.html https://www.biodiversityfinance.net/georgia BIOFIN Georgia Project Manager: Tornike Phulariani UNDP Environment & Energy Team Leader: Nino Antadze Senior Technical Advisor: David Meyers Environmental Finance Expert: Marco Arlaud Biofin Global Manager: Onno van den Heuvel Disclaimer: The report was prepared and published with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The views expressed in this publication are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UNDP. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project relied on inputs from many people working in biodiversity conservation and other sectors. We would like to acknowledge the following valuable contributions: Name Organization Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Solomon Pavliashvili Advisor to the Minister Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – George Khanishvili The Deputy Minister Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Iuri Nozadze The Deputy Minister Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Karlo Amirgulashvili Biodiversity and Forest Department Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Lika Giorgadze Biodiversity and Forest Department Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Nona Khelaia Biodiversity and Forest Department Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Teona Karchava Biodiversity and Forest Department Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Maia Beradze Environmental Assessment Department Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Alexandre Papunashvili Environmental Assessment Department Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Nino Chikovani Environment and Climate Change Department, Land Resources Protection Division Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Tea Levidze Environmental Policy and International Relations Department, Projects Coordination Division Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Natia Iordanishvili National Forestry Agency Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Merab Machavariani National Forestry Agency Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Toma Dekanoidze Agency of Protected Areas Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Nelly Korkotadze Department of Environmental Supervision Name Organization Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Maia Chkhobadze Department of Environmental Supervision Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia – Ia Papiashvili Environmental Information and Education Centre Ekaterine Guntsadze Ministry of Finance – Budget Department Natia Gulua Ministry of Finance – Budget Department Zurab Gurielidze Tbilisi Zoo Kakha Artsivadze NACRES – Centre for Biodiversity Conservation & Research Irakli Shavgulidze NACRES – Centre for Biodiversity Conservation & Research Natia Kobakhidze GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Mariam Urdia GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit Tamar Pataridze CNF – Caucasus Nature Fund Tea Barbakadze CNF – Caucasus Nature Fund George (Geof) Giacomini CNF – Caucasus Nature Fund Mariam Jorjadze Elkana Rezo Getiashvili CENN – Caucasus Environmental NGO Network Nugzar Zazanashvili WWF – World Wide Fund for Nature Kety Tsereteli Rec Caucasus – The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus Sophiko Akhobadze Rec Caucasus – The Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus Irakli Macharashvili Green Alternative Servi Nabuurs TJS – Transboundary Joint Secretariat Lali Tevzadze TJS – Transboundary Joint Secretariat Levan Butkhuzi Independent Expert Ana Rukhadze Independent Expert Marika Kavtarishvili Independent Expert Nino Sulkhanishvili Ecovision Nino Chkhobadze Greens Movement – Friends of the Earth Natia Natsvlishvili UNDP – Assistant Resident Representative Nestan Khuntsaria UNDP – Environment & Energy Portfolio Programme Associate Lia Tergiashvili UNDP – BIOFIN Project Administrative/Financial Assistant Tracey Cumming The Global BIOFIN Team – Technical Adviser EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Biodiversity and ecosystem services make a highly This Biodiversity Finance Plan (the Plan) has been significant contribution to the Georgian economy. developed to identify and support the implementation Investment in Georgia’s biodiversity is clearly aligned with of biodiversity finance solutions that together have the overall socio-economic development planning including potential to significantly improve the management and the Socio-economic Development Strategy for Georgia, financing of biodiversity management in Georgia. The the 2015 state program “For a Strong, Democratic, Unified aim of the Plan is therefore to ensure that Georgia’s Georgia” and the Regional Development Programme unique and valuable biodiversity is protected and of Georgia 2010–2017. Such investment also strongly maintained through, in part, the adequate financing of supports livelihoods and key sectors in the economy the required biodiversity conservation and management including forestry, tourism, agriculture, water and energy interventions. (hydroelectricity in particular). Finance solutions are a means of using one or more finance mechanism or instrument which results in the improvement of biodiversity conservation and management. Finance solutions can result in: • An increase in funding, either from new sources or existing sources; • Better spending of existing funds; • Reducing costs associated with biodiversity conservation and management; • Realigning neutral or harmful expenditure to be beneficial (such as adjusting subsidies to support conservation). The Plan is the fourth element of the Biodiversity Finance targets. This offers a means to foster action and support Initiative (BIOFIN) being implemented by the Ministry of partnerships for investing in biodiversity by deepening Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) and the understanding of a range of solutions and by framing the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). realistic action points. The Plan is composed of: The other BIOFIN assessment elements included the 1. A prioritization of nine key finance solutions based on biodiversity policy and institutional review (PIR), the a rigorous and participatory selection process; biodiversity expenditure review (BER), and the financial 2. A systematic approach to address financial needs, needs assessment (FNA) focused on the National identify emerging opportunities and prioritize key Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). The main biodiversity outcomes; results and recommendations of these three previous 3. Concise technical proposals to help operationalise the assessments have been used to inform this Plan. prioritized biodiversity finance solutions, including required steps and identification of risks; and The Plan presents a comprehensive and coherent national 4. Consolidated estimates of the expected finance results approach to biodiversity finance that encompasses a full where possible. suite of finance solutions. It is a living document that The nine prioritised biodiversity finance solutions in the builds on progress already made in Georgia to suggest Plan tend to be targeted towards specific finance needs targets and steps that expand the country’s biodiversity but many are complementary. They can be summarized finance agenda and achieve national biodiversity as follows: Improving state budget justification Improving EIA quality, expertise and capacity at the Ministry of Environmental effectiveness Protection and Agriculture (MEPA). An effective and well-functioning Environmental Impact Biodiversity contributes significantly to the economy Assessment (EIA) system can protect biodiversity and through nature based tourism, agriculture, hydro mitigate harmful impacts of economic activities. The resources, and diverse natural products. Currently over Georgian government is currently improving the EIA 60% of finance for biodiversity in Georgia comes from the process and MEPA is seeking better integration of national budgets and greater funding levels are needed. biodiversity and ecosystem services into the EIA policy. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) seeks budget requests This solution aims to ensure adequate assessment and with clearly identified results and economic impacts. This evaluation of biodiversity into the EIA process. The solution aims to develop capacity at MEPA to produce and result is avoided loss of biodiversity and reduced future present well-formulated results-based budgets that meet cost of restoration from