You can find the original Georgian version of the Interview on the Bank of Georgia Blog here.
January 31, 2024
Support of protected areas is a social responsibility shared by the Bank of Georgia
Along with education, employment and business support, Bank of Georgia is a sponsor of protected areas. The Bank of Georgia started its partnership with the Caucasus Nature Fund in 2010, within which it became a sponsor of protected areas. Today, the Bank of Georgia and the Caucasus Nature Fund jointly take care of the unique ecosystem and biodiversity represented in the protected areas, which is more important for our everyday life than it seems at first glance.
“Protected areas are unique places in terms of biodiversity, and Georgia is one of the outstanding places in this regard, where untouched primeval nature – primeval landscape, flora and fauna – can be found. In Georgia, we still find species that are extinct in many countries and regions. On a global scale, the Caucasus region is among “36 Biodiversity Hotspots “, – notes Tea Barbakadze, National Director of the Caucasus Nature Fund.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, Image: Agency of Protected Areas, Georgia
Along with the unique nature, the protected areas also have a catchment function that needs to be preserved and warned. Clean air, fewer irrigation problems, good harvests and more are directly or indirectly linked to protected areas, as the biodiversity present there plays a major role in the overall ecosystem. Therefore, the preservation of protected areas is a priority issue for the Bank of Georgia, and this process started from the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park in cooperation with the Caucasus Nature Fund.
In 2010, the Caucasus Nature Fund started cooperation with the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, and the Bank of Georgia was the first corporate donor, whose donation was used for the rehabilitation of the Borjomi-Kharagauli administrative building. Starting with one national park, the sponsorship now counts the support of 16 protected area administrations. These protected areas are Borjomi-Kharagauli, Lagodekhi, Tusheti (including protected area and protected landscape), Vashlovani, Mtirala, Javakheti, Kazbegi, Algeti, Kintrish, Machakhela, Pshav-Khevsureti, and from 2023, Batsara-Babaneuri, the protected landscapes of Aragvi and Truso, and the newly created Racha National Park.
Mtirala National Park, Image: Agency of Protected Areas, Georgia
The sponsorship of the Bank of Georgia means that the administrative and infrastructure costs of the protected areas are covered by the money received. Sponsorship also includes helping both employees and local residents and improving their lives. For example, with the support of the Bank of Georgia, high-quality uniforms were purchased for the rangers, which changed their activities and everyday life for the better. The Caucasus Nature Fund, on the other hand, constantly takes care of the component of improving communication and raising awareness. In addition, preservation of protected areas and care for their development has a great impact on ecotourism, which ultimately has a positive impact on the country’s economy.
“I must emphasize the contribution of the Bank of Georgia in the field of environmental protection within the framework of social responsibility. As one of the successful businesses in Georgia, it has paid close attention to the issues of environmental protection. We have been cooperating since 2010, and the Bank of Georgia is truly one of the most loyal, stable, long-term donors, partners and friends of the Caucasus Nature Fund and a supporter of protected areas in Georgia. We consider the Bank of Georgia not as a sponsor, but as a partner and friend, who is fully aware of what he is doing in terms of environmental protection and takes this issue seriously,” says Tea Barbakadze.
Vashlovani National Park, Mtirala National Park, Image: Agency of Protected Areas, Georgia
It should be noted that last year, an event was held for the purpose of environmental protection and, in general, preservation and development of protected areas, in which the Bank of Georgia contributed a lot. With the support of the Bank of Georgia and the involvement of international organizations, the first international summit of protected areas was held in Georgia in 2023. The summit held in Borjomi was the first precedent in the history of the protected areas of Georgia, when the representatives of the world’s leading national parks and international environmental organizations shared their experience with their Georgian colleagues, discussed various issues and introduced their work practices. Representatives of national parks of the world visited Georgia from the USA, Germany, Sweden, Romania, Macedonia, Armenia, Ukraine, Turkey and the Republic of Korea. Within the framework of the summit, a number of new projects were planned, the implementation of which will start from 2024.
The Bank of Georgia continues to support the protected areas and more events and projects are planned in the future. Against the background of modern challenges, the most important of which is climate change, we should remember that the study and observation of this process is best possible for scientists in the pristine nature of protected areas. Therefore, sharing social responsibility in the direction of environmental protection should be an important priority for all companies.
