Western Georgian rainforests and wetlands granted UNESCO World Natural Heritage status
By Khatia Bzhalava
Tuesday, July 27
On Monday, The World Heritage Committee inscribed Colchic rainforests and wetlands of Georgia on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was made at the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, held online and chaired from Fuzhou, China. Mtirala and Kolkheti National Parks and Kintrishi and Kobuleti Protected Areas are now among 213 sites worldwide that have been granted the UNESCO World Natural Heritage status.
According to the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, this is a very important event not only for the country but also for the region. As he noted, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites are the most important part of the Caucasus Ecoregion and the Black Sea Basin.
“Granting World Natural Heritage status to the protected areas will help increase Georgia's popularity, develop ecotourism, share international management experience, attract visitors and increase their number,” said the PM.
According to the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Levan Davitashvili, Georgia once again became famous on the world map for its distinctive biodiversity. As he stated, the Ministry, in cooperation with UNESCO, has been working on this nomination since 2019.
These four locations are the very first natural sites in the country to be on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The List features over 200 natural locations including, the Great Barrier Reef, Amazon Forest, Grand Canyon National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Mount Etna. The list includes three non-natural Georgian monuments- the Gelati Monastery, the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta, and Upper Svaneti.
