Five-Year Initiative with GEF Support: Pastureland Restoration and Land Degradation Reduction Project Successfully Completed

On December 10th, REC Caucasus summarized the activities and main achievements of the project “Achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) National Targets through Restoration and Sustainable Management of Degraded Pasturelands,” funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented in partnership with FAO.

The project was launched in 2020 at the initiative of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and aimed to both create a national policy and institutional framework and demonstrate practical restoration of degraded pasturelands.

The project closing event brought together representatives from the Government of Georgia, international and local organizations, financial institutions, municipalities, farmers, academia, media, and other stakeholders working on environmental protection and sustainable development of agriculture.

The event was officially opened by Mr. Lasha Dolidze, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Mr. Mamuka Meskhi, Deputy FAO Representative in Georgia, Mr. Feras Ziadat, FAO Chief Technical Advisor, and Ms. Sophiko Akhobadze, Director of the Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus.

Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Lasha Dolidze, noted:

“We express our gratitude to REC Caucasus, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and FAO for implementing such an important initiative. The work carried out within the project creates a strong foundation for pastureland restoration and their sustainable management. Although the results will not appear uniformly and quickly, this process has already begun, and we will continue to provide full support from the Ministry.”

Director of REC Caucasus, Sophiko Akhobadze, emphasized the practical impact of the project:

“The achieved results show that when we combine the right tools, knowledge, and local engagement, it is possible to restore degraded pasturelands and establish a culture of sustainable management. This is only the beginning – the created models are now ready to be scaled up nationally.”

Main Project Results

The event placed special emphasis on the systemic changes implemented within the project at both national and local levels.

Within the project framework:

• A national pastureland policy document was developed, which for the first time creates a unified strategic vision for sustainable pastureland management in Georgia.
• The foundation was laid for establishing a legislative and institutional framework that ensures a more equitable, transparent, and sustainable system of pastureland use.
• Pastureland inventory and assessment were conducted, including in pilot municipalities of Dmanisi, Gurjaani, and Kazbegi.
• Modern approaches to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) monitoring and mechanisms for identifying hotspots were developed.
• Pasture user associations were created and strengthened in pilot villages, introducing governance practices based on community self-organization and collective management.
• A holistic model of sustainable pastureland management was implemented on more than 530 hectares, appropriate infrastructure was established (electric fences, water points, anti-erosion plantations), and rotational (controlled) grazing regimes were developed.

These results create an innovative, practical model that directly contributes to Georgia’s achievement of Land Degradation Neutrality national targets.

Future Steps

The project closing event not only summarized the achieved results but also highlighted the need to continue and deepen the development of already established governance and institutional mechanisms, as well as to strengthen well-organized and responsible pastureland management practices at the local level.

The project formally concludes in December 2025, however, the knowledge, tools, and models created within its framework will be used in the future for institutionalizing sustainable pastureland management practices.