Biodiversity, as defined by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CDB), refers to “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems” (CDB). Generally, it refers to the diversity of ecosystems and the variety of life on Earth.

In the present era of environmental and industrial change, maintaining biodiversity is essential. Doing so not only protects species and habitats, but also brings benefits for society in the form of resulting ecosystem services. In order to conserve biodiversity and fulfill the obligations defined by various international conventions and the Association Agreement (AA), the Georgian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resource Protection (MoENRP) initiated the Law on Biodiversity in 2015.

On Monday, January 22, the Agricultural Policy Research Center (APRC) presented the results of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) of the Draft Law of Georgia on Biodiversity to the stakeholders.

The objective of this research is to conduct a participatory evaluation of the pilot projects in Akhmeta/Tusheti region of Georgia implemented by Integrated Biodiversity Management, South Caucasus Program.

ISET-PI is working on a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on the Draft Law of Georgia on Biodiversity. This project will emphasize the consideration of Sustainable Development Goals in the RIA approach.