Mountain Law to benefit Georgia’s highest alpine resort of Bakhmaro

People living in the village of Bakhmaro in Guria region of Georgia will soon get benefits guaranteed by the Mountain Law, announces the government of Georgia.

The decision was made by the National Council of Mountain Development at its 10th meeting held today.

The National Council of Mountain Development also summarised the benefits received by the local population in 2018 within the law and said that last year around 69 million GEL was spent on the programme. 

• Read Agenda.ge’s article ‘How will the Georgian highlands be developed in 2019-2023?’ and find out more about the government’s plans for the development of mountainous regions of Georgia.

The beneficiaries were:

• Pensioners permanently dwelling in high terrain regions;
• Socially vulnerable groups of the population of highlands;
• Healthcare professionals living and working in high terrain regions;
• Families that had their first and second children since the enforcement of the Law as a monthly allowance;
• Teachers of public schools operating in high terrain regions;
• Vocational trainers at education centers established by the state in highlands and sports coaches.

See the video 'Lost in a Skiers Dream' by WhiteHearts – a Germany-based community of winter sport enthusiasts. In 2017 the group of freeride skiers visited Bakhmaro and spent a month there. This video features drone- and on-the-ground footage of local village huts, snow-covered woods and skiers navigating the pristine slopes of the local mountains.

In addition, almost 11,923 households permanently living in high terrain regions received timber for heating and cooking, while over 84,000 subscribers with a status of permanent residents of high terrain regions were reimbursed 50% of their utility bills for the monthly consumption of energy.