Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection summarizes 2013
By Natalie Osipovi
Friday, December 20
Environment and Natural Resources Minister Khatuna Gogaladze presented the 2013 report of the ministry. In the frames of the meeting, Gogaladze introduced the changes that were implemented by the ministry during the year.|
According to the Minister's statement, many projects were under way during the year. "The Ministry has been strengthened on both the functional and institutional sides. We have created many new structural units in the Ministry," Gogaladze said.
The main changes that the Ministry implemented were connected to the problems of the national forestry policy, the management of arrears, and the rehabilitation of the burial of radioactive waste.
Due to institutional reform, in order to correct some legal flows, 47 legislative acts were prepared and taken. According to these changes, the Ministry held its reorganization works. Both the central office and its subordinate institutions were strengthened. The Forestry Agency, the Basic Sapling Agricultural Office, the Educational Centre, etc were also established.
Many bills were also worked out, which caused progress in the Ministry’s development. For instance, the bill on Genetically Modified Organisms, also the law on the Creation and Management of Natural Heritage, the Law on the Management of Water Resources, etc.
According to the implemented changes, the Law on The Red List and Red Data Book was repealed, since in which hunting was legalized.
In order to make the report of the Environmental Impact Assessment better, guidebooks on the creation of electricity lines were made.
As a result of taking the law on the Creation and Management of Natural Heritage, the status of historical monuments was given to the Goderdzi Fossil Forest, Dashbashi and Samshvilde Canyons, also to the Mukhuri Waterfall, Bodorna Rock Pillars and the complex of the heritage of Samegrelo.
The rule on the Implementation of Nuclear and Radiological Inspection was also approved.
Gogoladze stated that, the main reason for the pollution of the atmosphere is automobiles. In order to avoid this problem, the Interagency Commission, whose basic activity was gradual tightening of the usage of petrol and diesel, was created.
