Third National Report of Georgia to the Convention on Biological Diversity The Ministry of Environmental Protection of Georgia Center for the Convseration of Species NACRES 1 CONTENTS A. REPORTING PARTY...................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Information on the preparation of the report ..........................................................................4 B. PRIORITY SETTING, TARGETS AND OBSTACLES ..........................................................................5 Priority Setting .....................................................................................................................7 Challenges and Obstacles to Implementation..........................................................................8 2010 Target .......................................................................................................................12 Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) .....................................................................47 Ecosystem Approach...........................................................................................................65 C. ARTICLES OF THE CONVENTION ..............................................................................................68 Article 5 – Cooperation .......................................................................................................68 Article 6 - General measures for conservation and sustainable use.........................................71 Biodiversity and Climate Change....................................................................................73 Article 7 - Identification and monitoring ...............................................................................75 Decisions on Taxonomy.................................................................................................78 Article 8 - In-situ conservation [Excluding paragraphs (a) to (e), (h) and (j)] .........................82 Programme of Work on Protected Areas (Article 8 (a) to (e)) ...........................................85 Article 8(h) - Alien species ..................................................................................................92 Article 8(j) - Traditional knowledge and related provisions.....................................................97 GURTS.........................................................................................................................97 Status and Trends ........................................................................................................97 Akwé:Kon Guidelines ....................................................................................................97 Capacity Building and Participation of Indigenous and Local Communities.........................98 Support to implementation..........................................................................................100 Article 9 - Ex-situ conservation..........................................................................................101 Article 10 - Sustainable use of components of biological diversity.........................................104 Biodiversity and Tourism.............................................................................................107 Article 11 - Incentive measures .........................................................................................110 Article 12 - Research and training......................................................................................112 Article 13 - Public education and awareness .......................................................................114 Article 14 - Impact assessment and minimizing adverse impacts..........................................120 Article 15 - Access to genetic resources..............................................................................125 Article 16 - Access to and transfer of technology.................................................................130 Programme of Work on transfer of technology and technology cooperation .....................131 Article 17 - Exchange of information ..................................................................................134 Article 18 - Technical and scientific cooperation ..................................................................136 Article 19 - Handling of biotechnology and distribution of its benefits ...................................138 Article 20 – Financial resources .........................................................................................141 D. THEMATIC AREAS .................................................................................................................148 Inland water ecosystems...................................................................................................151 Marine and coastal biological diversity................................................................................154 General.........................................................................................................................154 Implementation of Integrated Marine and Coastal Area Management.................................155 Marine and Coastal Living Resources...............................................................................156 Mariculture....................................................................................................................159 Alien Species and Genotypes..........................................................................................161 Agricultural biological diversity ..........................................................................................162 Annex to decision V/5 - Programme of work on agricultural biodiversity ............................163 Forest Biological Diversity .................................................................................................168 General.........................................................................................................................168 Expanded programme of work on forest biological diversity ..............................................170 Biological diversity of dry and sub-humid lands...................................................................179 Mountain Biodiversity........................................................................................................182 E. OPERATIONS OF THE CONVENTION........................................................................................188 F. COMMENTS ON THE FORMAT..................................................................................................189 2 3 Information on the preparation of the report Box I. Please provide information on the preparation of this report, including information on stakeholders involved and material used as a basis for the report. This report was elaborated with support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), within the framework of the project “Assistance in Biodiversity Capacity Building, Participation in the Mechanism of Biodiversity Resource Centre, Preparation of the Second and Third National Reports to the Convention on Biological Diversity”. The project is being implemented in close cooperation between the Center for the Conservation of Species NACRES and The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia. Georgia received financial assistance to create the Second and Third National Reports to the Con- vention on Biological Diversity in late 2008 thus was unable to meet the submission deadlines of submission as defined by Resolutions of the Conference of the Parties (Resolutions V/19 and VII/25). This project needed consultation and training in order for the Reports to fully reflect the processes on the local level regarding the Articles and Resolutions of the Convention. The Report describes the status of implementation of the Convention in Georgia from 2002-2005. It discusses the activities implemented in the given period and their results, as well as the background situation and problems in the fields of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. The elaborate the National Report was coordinated by the Center for the Conservation of Species, NACRES. The following experts of the Center were involved for the elaboration: Anna Rukhadze, Chief Specialist of the Biodiversity Protection Service of The Ministry of Envi- ronmental Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia (Responsible for the elaborate the docu- ment); Dr. Irakli Macharashvili, Association “Green Alternative” (Forest Biodiversity); Dr.Gia Sofadze, Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (Research and training, public education, technical and scientific cooperation). For creating this document, interviews and consultations were held at the following departments, scientific research institutes and NGOs: State Agencies: The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources: o The Department of Integrated Management of the Environment; o Environmental Protection Inspection; o Department of Protected Areas; o Forest Department; The Department of International Relations and Policy; The Ministry of Agriculture; The Ministry of Education and Science. Scientific research Institutes and Educational Institutions: Tbilisi Botanical Garden and the Institute of Botany; Batumi Botanical Gardens; The Institute of Zoology; Kanchaveli Institute of Plant Protection; Gulisashvili Forest Institute; The Institute of Agriculture;