Environmental performance reviews: Georgia

The present publication contains the third Environmental Performance Review of Georgia. The review takes stock of the progress made by Georgia in the management of its environment since the country was reviewed in 2010 for the second time. It assesses the implementation of the recommendations contained in the second review. The third review covers policy-making, implementation and the financing of environmental policies and projects. It discusses also issues on air protection, water management, including protection of the Black Sea, waste management, biodiversity, forests and protected areas, energy, industry, agriculture, transport, forestry, tourism, health and risk management of natural and technological/anthropogenic hazards. The review makes suggestions for strengthening efforts towards a comprehensive and systemic response to sustainable development challenges. The EPR report reflects the successes and challenges of the country in the achievement of most of the Millennium Development Goals. This analysis, together with respective recommendations, should assist all national stakeholders in developing an aspirational national agenda for achievement of the new global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ECE would like to express its appreciation to the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety and the German Federal Environment Agency for their support by providing funds through the Advisory Assistance Programme, and also to Switzerland for their financial contribution. Sincere thanks are also due to France, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Joint UNEP/Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Environment Unit for having provided their experts, and to the United Nations Development Programme for their support for this review. ECE also takes the opportunity to thank Austria and the Netherlands for their general financial support to the EPR Programme and expresses its deep appreciation to Belarus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Sweden and Switzerland for having provided their experts for the ECE Expert Group on Environmental Performance Reviews, which undertook the expert review of this report.