Tusheti Protected Landscape in Georgia’s north-east to expand by 2,245 hectares

Georgia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection on Monday announced plans for the Tusheti Protected Landscape in the country’s north-east to be expanded by 2,245 hectares and create connections between nearby protected natural areas.

The Landscape will incorporate the village of Tbatana and its surroundings, reaching an area of 34,280 hectares, following a Government decision.

The village creates a “connecting corridor” between the Batsara Nature Reserve, Ilto Managed Reserve and the Landscape and ensures a “continuity of ecological processes in this vast area”, the Ministry said in comments for the decision.

It added regulations related to management of the Landscape would be extended to the expanded area, which would help restore “historical appearance” of a settlement that existed in the location in the past, “encourage sustainable use of natural resources and improve the potential of ecotourism”.

The Ministry said the number of visitors to the locality would increase following planned arrangement of ecotourism infrastructure, which in turn would “positively affect” the socio-economic circumstances of locals.

The body also noted 100 protected areas of different categories had been created to promote protection of biodiversity, with the locations totalling an area of 912,000 hectares, or around 13.1 percent of the country’s territory.

It also said a draft law on creation and management of the Guria National Park in Georgia's west had been submitted to the country’s Parliament, and noted studies would be carried out to establish protected areas in the western Samegrelo and Upper Svaneti regions, as well as the expansion of the existing protected area in the western Racha region.

Efforts are ongoing to develop ecotourism infrastructure with construction of 1,200-km-long hiking trails and related tourist and recreational infrastructure in 15 protected areas, the Ministry added.

Over ₾30 million ($11 mln) is being spent on the initiative, while ₾10 million ($3mln) will be spent on creating new ecotourism infrastructure in at least 10 locations, it also pointed out.

The Ministry added 1,070,000 visitors - a 19 percent increase over 2022 - had been recorded visiting protected areas of Georgia last year, crediting state policies for their “proper development” with the outcome.