Forests play a crucial role both environmentally and economically. Forests are a habitat for thousands of species, protect soil from erosion, regulate water cycles, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. In addition, forests provide humans with wood and non-wood resources. The forest is a natural resource that is of exceptional value in Georgia. It has national, regional and global value and covers approximately 40% of the country’s land area. Forests in Georgia not only account for maintaining unique biodiversity, but also serve social and environmental functions of state importance, supplies local residents with vital resources and provides welfare, eradicates poverty and fosters the sustainable development the agriculture, energy and tourism sectors.
In Georgia, the condition of forests is significantly deteriorating as a result of human impact on forests and unsustainable logging. The scarcity of alternative energy sources, which leads to illegal logging by local populations, increases the pressure on forest ecosystems. As a result, biodiversity is declining and natural, ecological, socio-economic and energy risks are increasing, as well as state budget losses.
Moreover, the rural population of Georgia mainly uses firewood as a fuel resource, for hot water supply and food preparation. Unsustainable use of traditional firewood through low energy efficient stoves reduces both resource efficiency and negatively impacts the environment and population health. Burning wood in a traditional stove causes air pollution in the home and damages the human respiratory tract. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015, 1.3 million people worldwide died from this cause, and the most vulnerable groups in this regard are mostly women and children.
The state of forests in Georgia has significantly deteriorated because of unsustainable harvesting of wood resources (for firewood or commercial use). As a result, natural hazards, and environmental, socio- economic and energy risks have increased, while the state budget has decreased. Key factors that have contributed to this situation are due to the low price of firewood, which is predominantly used for heating; limited alternative energy resources; low awareness; improper use of firewood (i.e., using damp firewood); energy-inefficient wood-burning stoves; energy-inefficient buildings; lack of monitoring and enforcement in forests; illegal logging; and incomplete data on forest conditions.
The need for forest protection is a globally accepted truth. Georgia is a signee of several international treaties and agreements, and thus committed to ensuring forest management according to sustainable principles. For example,, the Parliament of Georgia approved the Forest Code of Georgia on May 22, 2020. The Code covers all significant segments of forestry sector reform and introduces sustainable forest management principles. Its main goals are to introduce the sustainable and multifunctional use of forests and preserve forest ecosystems and the reasonable use of their social and economic benefits.
The issues can effectively be addressed by introducing sustainable forest management practices, using sustainable biomass energy resources and developing manufacturing markets for energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies.