The Guidelines are intended to enhance EIA practice in Georgia, including the transboundary consultations. They should also support Georgia in implementing recommendations outlined in the assessment of nexus issues in transboundary basins under the UNECE Water Convention. In particular:
- Developing and applying guidelines and drawing upon international experience to improve sustainability in the location, design, and construction of hydropower plants.
- Ensuring that new hydropower plants, driven by hydropower generation, are designed to maximize the benefits of multiple uses, as well as minimizing impacts on the environment.
The Guidelines mainly address substance-related aspects of EIA, while following the procedural requirements of the Environmental Assessment Code (EAC) of Georgia, as well as the steps outlined in the general EIA Guidelines. They also take into account the experience of EIA application in the hydropower sector in Georgia and in other countries in the UNECE region (e.g. in South-East Europe) and relevant guidance documents relating to the Espoo Convention, its Protocol on SEA, as well as sustainable hydropower development.