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has a special chapter on climate change and includes
both adaptation and mitigation measures. The
policy document identifies the following vulnerable
regions: highlands/mountainous areas, the Black Sea
coastal zone and semi-arid regions. The programme’s
long-term objective is ensuring the security of the
population of Georgia through climate change
adaptation measures. Short term objectives include:
• realization of adaptation measures in the regions
vulnerable to climate change; and
• determination of the impacts of climate change on
other regions and sectors.
The target measures within the policy document,
which are developed on the basis of the Second
National Communication include: the development
of NAPAs, implementation of measures in the
Black Sea coastal zone and Lentekhi municipality,
undertaking a study on the Adjara and Upper
Svaneti (Mestia) mountain municipalities and on the
impact of climate change on glaciers (transformative
impacts and impact on water resources) in Georgia.
The document also outlines the development of
operational plans to achieve a number of short-term
objectives. In addition to the above, climate change
is also integrated in other chapters of the document
that cover its impact on sectors such as: forestry,
land degradation, biodiversity and protected areas,
mineral resources and natural disasters.
Given the above, it is clear that the NEAP includes
the most comprehensive set of climate change
adaptation measures in Georgian national policy
documents to date.
Biodiversity
Regional context
Biodiversity conservation is the only area in which
the countries acknowledge the need for joint action.
The second edition of the Ecoregional Conservation
Plan (WWF/CBC 2012), acknowledged by various
stakeholders of the three countries, serves as regional
methodological guide and,
inter alia
, refers to both
climate change adaptation and mountain regions.
The document states that: “Mountain forests, which
make up the greater part of the forest biome in the
South Caucasus Ecoregion, also play a critical role in
preventing soil erosion and regulating water flow” and
that “high mountain habitats cover about 17 per cent
of the Ecoregion”. Almost half of the priority
conservation areas identified in the Conservation
Plan are mountainous. Climate change is named as a
factor that aggravates different negative impacts that
threaten the biodiversity of the ecoregion. The Action
West Caucasian tur, Georgia