On May 20 of this year, a meeting of the Agrarian Innovations Commission under the Presidium of the Academy was held, at which Giorgi Misheladze, Chairman of the National Agency for Sustainable Land Management and Land Use Monitoring, delivered a report on the topic: “Challenges related to windbreaks in Georgia”.
The speaker spoke in detail about the challenges related to the process of windbreak management. It was noted that the inventory of windbreaks is a systematic process, the goal of which is to collect comprehensive information about windbreaks existing throughout the country, which creates the basis for their effective management, restoration and development. The main challenges of the inventory process are the presence of various structures and perennial plants and infrastructure facilities in the windbreak areas, crossing state forest lands, registration of windbreak land plots in private ownership, etc. Mr. Giorgi highlighted the facts of felling, uprooting, and damage to the territory in the windbreak areas and noted that according to data from 2023-2026, within the framework of land use monitoring in 19 cadastral codes in various municipalities, 67 cases of destruction of trees and plants and damage to land over 1 ha have been identified.
The speaker drew attention to the problems associated with the restoration and cultivation of windbreaks, which include both financial issues and high risks of livestock and fire damage, the scarcity of irrigation water resources and locally produced seedlings, etc. He also spoke about the ongoing modernization of the restoration and cultivation program, which will respond to existing challenges.
Since windbreaks significantly improve the microclimate, reduce moisture losses in the soil and, accordingly, the need for irrigation, soil fertility and economic indicators of the yield of major agricultural crops significantly depend on their presence. The ability of windbreaks to retain soil moisture can also be used as a mechanism for adapting to climate change.
Mr. Giorgi informed the audience that since 2021, the state program for the inventory of windbreaks has been continuously underway, the main goal of which is to create a unified database and register them in the National Agency of Public Registry. This will ensure their legal protection and effective management.
A discussion was held after the report, and the speaker was asked questions by:
Academicians: Nodar Chitanava, Aleksandre Didebulidze, Lasha Dolidze, Revaz Asatiani, Zurab Tskitishvili; Professors: Anzor Meskhishvili, Nugzar Ebanoidze, Otar Karchava, Mamuka Benashvili, Lali Elanidze. Doctors: Gocha Tsopurashvili, Vladimer Miruashvili, Otar Nadirashvili, Giorgi Kutelia; Secretary of the Commission Ketevan Chipashvili. They expressed the opinion that since soil fertility and the economic and economic indicators of the yield of major agricultural crops significantly depend on the existence of windbreaks, their maintenance, protection and restoration are of particular importance.