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Good practice Imported

Kolkheti National Park — Ramsar Wetland Protection & UNESCO-Listed Colchic Rainforest Restoration (Georgia)

Georgia · Poti · See the Georgia profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 18% 60/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

A World Bank/GEF-backed coastal wetland park in Georgia protects Ramsar-listed wetlands hosting 194 bird species, was inscribed as a 2021 UNESCO World Heritage site, and grew ecotourism visits from 1,000 (2007) to 13,747 (2015).

28,940 ha (15,742 ha wetlands)
Park area
194
Recorded bird species
1,000 to 13,747
Ecotourism visitors, 2007 to 2015
Kolkheti National Park — Ramsar Wetland Protection & UNESCO-Listed Colchic Rainforest Restoration (Georgia)

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia (APA), Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture
Period
1998–2021
Keywords
wetland conservation, biodiversity, ecotourism, coastal ecosystems

Context

Kolkheti National Park was established in 1998-99 as part of Georgia's Integrated Coastal Management Project, financed by the World Bank and Global Environment Facility.

Activities

The park covers 28,940 ha (15,742 ha wetlands); its associated 'Wetlands of Central Kolkheti' were designated Ramsar Site No. 893 in 1997, and the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 as part of the transboundary 'Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands' listing.

Results

The park documents 194 recorded bird species (21 seasonal migratory) and 3 dolphin species; ecotourism grew from about 1,000 visitors in 2007 to 13,747 by 2015.

Conclusions

No quantified carbon-stock or engineered flood-retention figures were found, so this submission scores those dimensions conservatively.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
Agency of Protected Areas of Georgia (APA), Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture

Conditions for success

  • World Bank/GEF-backed Integrated Coastal Management Project financing
  • Ramsar and UNESCO World Heritage designations

Common failure modes

  • no quantified carbon-stock or flood-retention monitoring found

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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