Third National Environmental Action Programme of Georgia 2017-2021

The Third National Environmental Action Programme (NEAP-3) is a national cross-sectoral programme of Georgia for the period 2017-2021. Its main objective is to achieve sustainable, balanced development where the quality of the environment is considered equally along with all the socio-economic challenges.
The NEAP-3 aims to make agriculture and forestry more productive and sustainable. To this end, it aims for the promotion of policy integration and improvement of environmental assessment, planning and reporting system; the improvement of the environmental data management system and rising environmental awareness; the improvement of environmental enforcement and supervision system; ensuring good qualitative and quantitative status of surface and groundwater bodies as well as coastal waters for human health and aquatic ecosystems; development of an effective system of water resources management; reduction of water pollution from the point and diffuse sources and ensuring sustainable use of water resources; improvement of the water quality and quantity monitoring and assessment systems; reduction of air emissions through the regulation of air pollutants from various economic sectors; development of an air quality monitoring and assessment system; improvement of the state system for emission inventories and the establishment of the emission projections system; improvement of the chemicals management system; improvement of the management of certain chemicals such as POPs, ODSs, mercury and mercury compounds at national level; implementation of an integrated inspection system for dangerous industrial facilities; establishment of an effective waste management system; development of waste treatment and safe disposal infrastructure; implementation of the polluter pays principle and Extended Producer’s Responsibility obligations; improvement of the chemicals management system; promotion of sustainable management of biodiversity; protection and prevention of the loss of species and habitats; expansion of the protected areas network; improvement of the protected area management system; promotion of sustainable eco-tourism in protected areas; improvement of legal framework and implementation of the Sustainable Forest Management system; reduction of pressure on forests through promoting the use of alternative fuel sources and the improvement of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of forests; capacity building for forest policy development, management and control entities; promotion of the use of forest ecosystem services; ensuring the protection and sustainable use of land resources; reduction of land degradation/desertification and the restoration of degraded areas; establishment of a monitoring system for degraded/eroded and polluted soils; improvement of national nuclear and radiation safety legislation; promotion of capacity-building in nuclear and radiation safety; and promotion of knowledge development, support in the elaboration and implementation of the green economy and sustainable development policies and their mechanisms at the national level.
In order to increase the resilience of livelihoods to disasters, the NEAP-3 aims to achieve a reduction of GHG emissions and ensure the security of the population of Georgia through the implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures; creation of prerequisites for greenhouse gas emission reduction; increase the adaptive capacity of the country; and implementation of the reporting obligations under the UNFCCC. In addition, the document aims for improvement of hazard identification, risk assessment/analysis, prevention and monitoring systems, including by implementation of flood and flash-flood risk assessment and management system; creation of large-scale geological hazard zoning GIS maps for whole country; creation of GIS geological hazard database; expansion of hydrometeorological monitoring stationary network; creation of hydrometeorological electronic database; creation of short, medium and long-term early warning system of droughts; and elaboration of the mechanisms for measuring losses/damages and mitigation tools for impacts caused by the catastrophes.
Monitoring will be carried out once a year by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia. After the third year of implementation, a midterm evaluation will be initiated. Regular monitoring will be carried out until 2021 when the results of the monitoring and mid-term evaluation will be taken into account in the process of the preparation of the NEAP-4. The general public and societal organizations will be provided with insights into the advancement of the implementation process and will have the opportunity to provide their feedback and comments.