Project: Protection of virgin forests as a green solution for the Black Sea  

GreenS4BlackSea

Funded under (Interreg VI-B) NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme

Project partners:

• Artvin Çoruh University (ACU) (Artvin, Türkiye) – Lead Partner
• Community and Environment (C&E)  (Tbilisi, Georgia)
• Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (BSU) (Batumi,Georgia)
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh) (Thessaloniki, Elláda)

Project duration: 18 months

Total budget: 452 970 euro

Description of the project:

Virgin forests are globally important for their biodiversity, protection from natural disasters, carbon storage, climate regulation, provision of clean water, etc. Most of virgin forests are located within the boundaries of protected areas. There are also virgin forests in the world, including the programme area that are not under any protection regime and therefore can be damaged.

The objective of the project is to enhance the protection and preservation of biodiversity and natural heritage through strengthened partnerships and joint action by universities in neighboring countries, involving relevant stakeholders in the Black Sea basin area to contribute to the creation of a green belt around the Black Sea. Conservation of virgin forests growing in the Black Sea basin area will contribute to the creation of a green belt of the Black Sea and therefore make the region greener and cleaner.

The specific objective is to contribute to the protection and preservation of virgin forest stands of high conservation value in Artvin province and Adjara AR through partnership and the use of innovative approaches.

The project will also raise the awareness of local communities and other stakeholders about the importance and means of conserving virgin forests and the benefits they provide, such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, protection from natural disasters, clean water, economic benefits, etc. through public awareness and education campaigns.

As the proposed project is multifaceted involving research, innovative technologies and activities at policy and grassroot levels, a strong partnership of organizations with different and complementary expertise is needed.

Adjara and Artvin province belong to the Caucasus Ecoregion - one of the most biologically rich and culturally diverse regions on Earth and are characterized by similarities in terms of biodiversity, therefore the transnational approach is highly relevant.

The project will be implemented through the partnership of ACU as a lead partner and BSU, AUTh and C&E as partners. Project partners will be involved in project related activities according to their competence and relevance. E.g.:

• virgin forest stands in Artvin forests will be identified and mapped through field visits with participation of students of Artvin and Batumi universities, local foresters and Georgian, Turkish and Greek experts using the methodology developed by C&E;
• a research on virgin forests in Artvin will be developed jointly by three universities based on the recommendations provided by C&E;
• a digital map will be developed by Greek experts with participation of Georgian and Turkish specialists;
• guidelines for the protection of virgin forest stands will be developed by AUTh with the involvement of international team of experts of the project and other relevant stakeholders on the basis on the best EU practices;
• public information campaign and curricula on conservation of virgin forest stands will be developed by ACU and BSU with the involvement of international team of experts of the project on the basis of recommendations from the AUTh;
• promotional materials of the project will be developed and produced by ACU and C&E for respective countries.

All materials and outputs produced by the project will be widely communicated and advertised through professional networks, newsletters and social media, as well as placed in e-library of the involved universities, project web site, project partner’s websites as open source data to enable their replication and upscaling by relevant stakeholders. E.g.:  

• the digital map of virgin forest stands in Artvin and Adjara will be freely accessible for forestry agencies, students and scientists, as well as other stakeholders. The map can be used for further research, planning, it can be updated to incorporate new data;
• the report of the research of virgin forests in Artvin can be used as a basis for further research or decision-making on specific management interventions and/or planning;
• guidelines for the protection of virgin forest stands in Artvin and Adjara based on the best EU practices will be transferred to relevant forestry authorities for implementation, distributed among relevant forestry practitioners and educators and placed in internet;
• curricula on protection and conservation of virgin forests will be introduced in Artvin and Batumi universities, as well as other educational institutions of the region;
• information materials can be used in other regions/countries as they can be adapted to accommodate the needs and requirements of specific communities/countries;
• information corners to be established by the project in Artvin and Batumi botanical gardens will be used as information sources for visitors and tourists.

To ensure the sustainability of project results, project partners will continue cooperation after project completion. Strengthened capacity and gained experience will allow them to enter into partnership with each other and other organizations to address new and challenging tasks.