Posted on September, 09 2011

On 7th September 2011, the management plan for the newly established Javakheti National Park was presented to the local communities, NGOs and other interest groups in the small town of Akhalkalaki.

The park is situated in a beautiful mountain area with many lakes in southern Georgia on the border to Armenia and Turkey. The plan - together with a portfolio of investments for local communities in fields of potable water, energy, livestock management, marketing of local produce, bee keeping, and tourism development - was very well received.

The main funding comes from the German and Georgian governments, and as a sign of local support, the two municipalities decided to provide up to 15% of the resources.

The project, implemented by WWF and the Agency for Protected Areas, will finish in about 18 months when a park headquarters and visitor centre are in place, and all the community activities have been implemented.