Integrated Coastal Zone Management is an approach increasingly applied world-wide for achieving sustainable development along the coast. In 2002, the European Parliament and Council issued an ICZM Recommendation, which has put pressure on EU countries to develop ICZM Strategies and create legal and institutional structures for the implementation of ICZM.

In Georgia The ICZM Working Group was established by ECBSea Project to coordinate and support the process of Draft ICZM National Strategy development. Through a series of meetings organised by ECBSea, the ICZM Working group developed the Draft Integrated Coastal Zone Management Strategy for Georgia

Minutes of the meeting on 16 November 2007
Minutes of the meeting on 24 December 2007
Minutes of the meeting on 5 December 2008

After the public hearing on 26 September 2008, the National ICZM Strategy for Georgia was finalized, incorporating the comments received. It was then laid out by a professional designer. The Georgian version underwent careful editing in order to comply with standard protocol and terminology of such policy documents. In addition, an Explanatory Note and a Draft Ordinance was produced in both English and Georgian. This package of documents was submitted to the Minister in February 2009.

The public presentation of the ICZM Strategy for Georgia was held on the 25th February 2009. The Strategy was provided in both English and Georgian. The Minister for Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, the responsible desk officer at the EU Delegation in Tbilisi, 50 participants representing the foreign and donor community, other governmental institutions and the NGO sector as well as some journalists attended the event, which received much praise by participants.

Two ICZM Pilot Projects in Tskhaltsminda village on the Georgian coast were implemented providing a valuable input in the development of the ICZM Strategy and producing important ICZM planning tools. Integrated Plan for Sustainable Development of Tskhaltsminda Village was discussed and adopted at the regular session of the Lanchkhuti Council On April 23, 2009.