/ ICZM component description, excerpts from GICMP project documents /
 
COMPONENT 1: ICZM INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING
 
10. This component aims to establish an ICZM institutional and legal framework through: (i) SCC for ICZM, (ii) the creation of an operational ICZM Unit, the Working Group for the Advancement of ICZM; and (iii) three Local ICZM Consultative Commission. In addition to these institutional arrangements to facilitate inter-sectoral planning and the participation of multiple stakeholder groups in coastal resource decision making, the project will also support the drafting of legislation and codes of practice for the coastal zone.

11. The State Consultative Commission for ICZM (SCC) will serve as the principal forum for interpreting and coordinating existing policies among the various sectors/stakeholders involved in coastal and marine resource use along Georgia’s Black Sea Coast. It will also be instrumental in guiding the drafting of legislation for the Coastal Zone. The SCC would be coordinated by the Ministry of Environment & MoUC as the lead agencies for ICZM, and would consist of representatives of relevant government sectoral and planning agencies, local authorities, academia, private sector, and the public. The SCC was formally established by Presidential Decree (# 608) on October 25, 1998. A copy of this Decree is provided in Annex 13 of the PAD.

12. The Working Group for the Advancement of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM Working Group) will be established as an independent, multi-disciplinary entity under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment, but with the full technical support of other government agencies (Ministry of Urbanization and Construction, Department of Protected Areas, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Transport) with interests in the Coastal Zone. The Working Group (Annex A) will house staff seconded from these ministries, who will be trained on state of the art equipment in the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and other ICZM tools and techniques for integrated planning and management of the coastal zone. A Project Implementation Unit (PIU) with executive powers for overall project supervision and coordination, including contracting and disbursement oversight, will be housed within the MoE along with the ICZM Working Group.

13. With project funded technical assistance, the WG will undertake various activities such as working with the SCC to draft ICZM legislation outlining the mandate and responsibilities of a coastal authority and codes of conduct for development activities in the coastal zone; facilitating technical assistance for the preparation of coastal land use plans at key points along the Black Sea Coast; establishing a coastal environment information system; preparing the first report on the state of the Georgian coastal zone based on monitoring data and information analysis; launching a training and public awareness program; and initiating and supervising the activities under the other components of the project. The WG will liaise with the national and local ICZM consultative commissions and with concerned public and private institutions, including NGOs. The WG will be provided with equipment, training, and hands on technical assistance to promote its development into a Center of Excellence for ICZM in Georgia.

14. The PIU/ICZM WG will help establish a network of three Local ICZM Consultative Commissions (LCCs) in Batumi, Poti and Kolkheti. The purpose of the LCCs is to encourage stakeholder participation in establishing ICZM priorities at the municipal and local levels, where decisions by resource users most closely affect the state of nearshore coastal ecosystems. In Kolkheti, the primary purpose of the LCC would be to serve as a community based advisory body to the National Park, mandated by protected area legislation, to provide input to park management plans and their implementation. The Poti and Batumi LCCs would be more broadly focused and would involve multiple stakeholders from different economic as well as social sectors, including the public sector, private and non-governmental entities, and the clergy. The set-up and initial operation of these committees will be facilitated by PIU field coordinators in Poti and Batumi.

 15. The framework Protected Areas legislation provides a foundation for preparing more detailed management plans under the project. The project would assist with finalization of management plans for both protected areas, and with establishment and operation of the regional support groups necessary for their successful implementation. The management plans will integrate the park’s biodiversity protection functions with regional development needs, such as tourism and sustainable agriculture.
 

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