Ekaterine has more than 15 year experience in the environmental field, mainly in nature conservation. She has worked on National PA policy and legislation development/assessment, PA management planning, PAs management effectiveness assessment, PAs capacity needs assessment, PA governance, Climate Change and PAs, participatory processes, capacity building. She also worked on National biodiversity conservation policy and legislation development/review, as well as Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). She has experience in project planning, fund management, fundraising, working with CBOs, NGOs, Governmental agencies, private consultancy companies, international and donor organizations. She is member of IUCN WCPA; she holds the diploma in biology from I. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia, and the master’s degree in Environmental Sciences from Wageningen University, the Netherlands.
Native of Batumi, Achara, I have graduated from the Batumi State Maritime Academy with the specialty of Maritime Economics. Since 1995 I was working at the Georgian Marine Institute and was involved in projects implemented under the Black Sea Environmental Program dealing with marine and costal biodiversity survey and conservation, environmental awareness, integrated coastal zone management, protected areas establishment. Participated in number of study tours and internships in PAs, conservation organisations and Universities in the EU and US.
Since 2004 I held positions at the government of Achara Autonomous Republic, first as a head of Environmental Directorate, being responsible for regional environmental policy, forestry management, eco-tourism development. Later as a head of International Affairs Department in the office of the Chairman of Government, dealing with international projects, donor coordination, inter-regional cooperation.
In 2014 I joined UNDP Georgia as a manager of Achara Protected areas project. Currently I coordinate UNDP-GEF project on financial sustainability of PA system in Georgia.
I hold the MSc degree in the Environmental management and have almost fifteen years of working experience in the field of the nature protection within the Governmental, non-governmental and different International organizations (UNDP, KFW and WWF). Currently I am a coordinator of the TJS programme. TJS is a regional environmental program, which deal with spices reintroduction, transboudary bio-monitoring, establishing of PAs and ecotourism on PAs.
My key qualifications are:
Graduated Tbilisi State University in 1980 (Master in physical geography); since then until mid-1990s worked for Institute of Botany, Georgian Academy of Sciences (PhD in botany), as researcher, head of vegetation mapping unit and head of dept. of natural resources.
Since early 1990s, from the beginning of the Caucasus programme, cooperates with WWF: mid 1990s – full staff, early 2000s – regional conservation director of the Caucasus programme. Supervising or coordinating number of projects, including Development of Ecoregional Conservation Plan, Planning and Establishment of Protected Areas, Species Reintroduction, etc.
In parallel, from 2008 – assoc. prof. Ilia State University, Institute of Ecology; delivers courses on Biogeography, Species Conservation, Protected Areas and Principles of Sustainable Development.
Author of more than 60 scientific (among them on protected areas) and many popular publications.
More than 14 year of experience in the field of environment, including biodiversity conservation, protected areas management and climate change; extensive experience in development of analytical and policy papers as well as strategies including in the area of biodiversity and climate change; experienced in management of complex environmental projects, elaboration of situation analysis and strategic planning in relation of various environmental sub-sectors, including protected areas governance and institutional arrangement; knowledgeable and experienced in developing of Monitoring, Verification and Reporting Systems for climate change management processes; knowledgeable of and experienced in techniques for stakeholder involvement in decision-making. Since 2012 the member of IUCN Council and Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of IPBES.
Anzor has vast experience in PA planning and management in Georgia. Originally from Tusheti, he has worked for the state PA authority in his role as the Director of the Tusheti PAs Administration. For the last several years he is working as the consultant with different national and international organizations (WWF, KFW, CzDA Caritas, UNDP, BMU IKI, Michael Succow oundations, etc.). He has worked on several projects related to the PA planning, management and assessment, such as preparation of management plans, expansion of protected areas, support of traditional agriculture and traditional handcraft development, facilitating stakeholder involvement, technical monitoring of PAs management, as well as project on feasibility assessment of establishment of a first biosphere reserve Georgia.
I am biologist by education having more than 14 years of working experience for the environmental sector. Specifically, I am experienced in planning and management of protected areas in Georgia; I have been personally involved in budgeting and in the evaluation of PA management effectiveness, which will be useful for EAGL.
In partnership with the Georgia’s Government CNF supports long-term financial sustainability of PAs network in Georgia. As a long-term partner, CNF possesses organizational memory, capacity and knowledge to introduce best international practices to PAs and Georgia.
I work on environmental and agricultural projects since 2015. One of them in 2015-2018 was led by Global Forest Coalition (GFC) called Community Conservation Resilience Initiative (CCRI). The main objective of the project was assessment and facilitation of sustainable and resilient conservation practices at community conserved areas in 22 countries, including Georgia. Since 2016 I have been working on raising awareness of regional CSOs, WBOs, CBOs and representatives of local governments on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and therefore I have strong network all over the country in the relevant fields. Annually I participate in trainings, events, workshops and conferences in different countries. During my career I have gained significant experience in environmental topics including management of protected areas (PAs), setting up certification schemes and supporting quality infrastructure, conducting internal \ external audits, assessment of compliance with different standards and laws. Currently, within my PhD studies I research soils and land management practices on Trialeti Range, lesser Caucasus mountains including at five PAs.
More than 5 years I have gained immense expertise at leading international universities, research institutions through the courses as well as various hands-on experiences in topical areas of my interest, such as urbanized protected areas, livelihoods, rural development. Notably, one of my recent extracellular activities includes the international expertise and pragmatic experience acquired at Field Research Centre Hasselt University. Particularly, during the summer school in intricacies of the concepts and scientific approaches in managing Urbanized Protected Areas while working on the real- life case of Terhills-Connecterra (National Park Hoge Kempen). Furthermore, knowledge of the qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods in social science will guarantee valuable contribution in the evaluation and adaptation of the indicator.
Importantly, the majority of scientific research projects in which I took apart as the researcher, consultant or expert were carried-out in the rural, mountain areas at the edge of the protected areas. This particular experience helped me to understand the role and standpoint of the PAs in the local community, their livelihood strategies, etc. Particularly, I would highlight the two projects Transformation of Livelihood Practices in Rural Settlements Located at the Edge of Protected Areas in Georgia, The Challenges of Mountainous Communities’ Sustainable Socioeconomic Development in the Context of Kazbegi National Park Expansion.
Throughout the years I have been following the development of the Protected areas in Georgia I am familiar with the activities implemented by the Agency of Protected Areas (Georgia) as well as enacted laws.
