Two meetings with residents of the Khada Valley were held in recent months as the project continued its outreach to local stakeholders.

On March 17, representatives of the Roads Department of Georgia and ADB met residents from Tskere village at the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia. The residents asked questions on issues on the construction process and its impacts, access to local sites during and after construction, internal village road and tourism opportunities. The Roads Department and ADB addressed the residents’ questions, sharing information and audio-visual materials to explain the measures taken to address the issues raised.

On June 18, a workshop was held in Gudauri for the project team to present the findings regarding Khada Valley community needs assessment. 41 Khada Valley residents, representatives of the Department of Roads of Georgia, ADB, the Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus, and the Deputy Governor of Mtskheta-Mtianeti attended the seminar. The project team presented the timeline and anticipated outputs on community development and livelihood improvements during the construction phase and the objectives of the forthcoming MasterpPlan+. The residents’ feedback confirmed the priority areas for community development.

Both meetings were held in full compliance with Georgian regulations on COVID-19.

More than 70 residents of the Khada Valley have received free medical examinations and medicines as part of a social support initiative arranged by the project. The residents benefited from access to medical professionals including general practitioners, ophthalmologists, and cardiologists at the Kvesheti Medical Center. For residents who were not able to travel to the medical center, they were visited at home.

The project will continue to support access to free medical examinations as part of its social support to beneficiaries.

The Roads Department has simplified the process for land registration in cooperation with the National Agency for Public Registry. In cases where official records are either absent or not specific enough, since December 2020 the Mayor’s representatives within administrative units were empowered to issue certificates of ownership based on a verification process comprising a site visit and obtaining at least two signatures from nearby local landowners.

The Roads Department implements resettlement procedures in accordance with the resettlement plans agreed with the ADB and EBRD and pays appropriate compensation to the owners or users of any land affected by the project.

To determine land values, the Department applied to the Levan Samkharauli Forensics Bureau which prepared an expert report on market values. Based on this, the market values of land units in the project development zone were increased relative to initial valuations. The new valuations offered by the Roads Department were accepted by 92% of local landowners and users.

Sophiko Akhobadze is Director at the Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus (RECC) and specializes in international environmental policy and development cooperation. Headquartered in Tbilisi, Georgia, RECC is an independent non-profit organization, established to help solve environmental problems and develop civil society in the South Caucasus.

What is RECC’s role on the Kvesheti-Kobi road project?

RECC was recruited to prepare a community needs assessment. In October 2020, ADB commissioned a community needs assessment to help identify the community’s specific needs and development priorities. This initiative was based on the results of focused and meaningful stakeholder engagement with local communities, civil society organizations (CSOs), and other stakeholders, which had been implemented throughout the project preparation process.

Who was consulted and when?

As part of the community needs assessment, we conducted 11 focus group discussions and 185 rapid household surveys in the Khada Valley between October 2020 and January 2021.

What did the study reveal?

The assessment revealed priority areas in conservation land-use and livelihood enhancement at the village level. It helped to identify residents’ current and potential business activities, needs for further development, and any gaps in knowledge in relation to potential tourism development. The assessment also identified the potential for different types of traditional local food production such as honey making and dairy products, as well as handicrafts, to explore possibilities to develop these as new sources of income for the local population.

What happens next?

The findings from the community needs assessment will inform the development of a fully-fledged Masterplan for the Khada Valley. It will comprise a historic-cultural reference plan, a spatial development plan (including land-use and building regulations), and a priority investment plan to guide immediate and future investments and assist valley residents. The findings also provide useful reference information for the further design and implementation of livelihood improvement and community development initiatives.

Construction work is concentrated at the North Portal of the project site following all necessary health and safety regulations and environmental protection requirements.

Last quarter, work to assemble the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) was underway at the North Portal of the tunnel near Kobi village. All parts of the TBM had already arrived to the site.

At the same time, the evacuation tunnel was being excavated and strengthened, and by June, the work had been completed from 9 km to 1.3 km.

No significant additional effects on air quality or noise are expected on the North Portal near Kobi Village. On the South portal near Tskere Village, substantial effect on air quality, vibration and noise issues are expected when the excavation and support works commence on the emergency tunnel in the coming months.

Construction works have entered an active phase in the second lot as well. The cleaning area of the project area is underway. The work of the 2nd pillar of the bridge under construction on the underground passage and near the village of Arakhveti on the river Aragvi has been completed.

At this stage, the construction works of the underground passage at km 0.7 and the arrangement of the bridges of the 2nd bridge have started.

The slope protection works of the entrance portal near Arakhveti Village and the exit portal on Didveli Plateau for the first tunnel have continued. As there will be additional noise during the earthworks and piling works construction near Kvesheti and Arakhveti Villages, activity hours shall be arranged not to disturb residents.

The Project has created several employment opportunities for the local population including skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled hires. During the recruitment process, residents of the Project Affected Communities are given special consideration.

Employment opportunities are communicated through community and group meetings in the Project Affected Communities. Information on active vacancies is periodically posted in the towns and villages of Kazbegi and Dusheti Municipalities, village message boards, on job search websites, the project website, and on the Facebook page.

Last quarter, the project directly employed the following numbers of residents of Georgia: 220 (208 male and 12 female) for Lot 1, and 55 (52 male and 3 female) for Lot 2. Among those hired, 147 people were from the project area: 115 (107 male and 8 female) for Lot 1 and 32 (28 male and 4 female) for Lot 2.

Accommodation, meals, and recreational facilities are provided for project employees at the construction camps near the worksites, such as in Kobi, Arakhveti and Zakatkari villages. Operating the construction camps also contributes project-related indirect job-creation and procurement opportunities for local and regional suppliers, businesses, and service providers.

To guide the development of the valley and maximize the opportunities generated by the new road, the Georgian government has committed to preparing a comprehensive Masterplan+. It will articulate an overarching vision for the valley that incorporates spatial, social, and economic dimensions, while paying specific attention to nature-based and cultural heritage values. The Masterplan+ is aimed at ensuring balance between community development aspirations and landscape conservation goals. It is expected to start in January 2022 and a series of consultations will be held with locals and other stakeholders throughout its preparation.

The Roads Department and ADB are co-producing two stakeholder briefs on cultural heritage and community development initiatives.

Despite the historical role and importance of Khada Valley, the archaeology of the area had not previously been studied extensively. A number of detailed studies and investigations on cultural heritage have been carried out under the project. To determine the community’s needs and development priorities, the project undertook a community needs assessment based on 11 focus group discussions and 185 rapid household surveys conducted in the Khada Valley from October 2020 to January 2021.

The stakeholder briefs will provide non-technical information on these initiatives and be published in October 2021.