To the government of Georgia (Prime minister of Georgia, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture); embassies and international organizations.

On 11th of April, the Georgian police forces attacked a peaceful protest site against Namakhvani Hydro Power Plant and demolished tents on the private property of the local protesters near the construction site. People were protesting there already for 169 days. See this video for footage of the eviction. The police have now restricted protests near the construction site. As the political situation in Georgia becomes more unstable, the civil society cannot trust the authorities and feels threatened.
The main investor of the Namakhvani Hydro Power Plant cascade and 90% shareholder is the Turkish corporation ENKA, the other 10% belongs to Norvegian company “Clean Energy Group''. As the investor states on their webpage: It is the largest energy project in the history of Georgia’s independence, which is implemented with a direct foreign investment up to $800 million.
Unfortunately, despite numerous appeals to different agencies - the relevant structures of the executive branch of the country, the project investor and the builder have not taken any effective steps to improve the project documentation and EIA, as well as to actually assess the situation and expected risks. This makes the country's energy independence policy even more opaque and causes mistrust of the local population and CSOs towards these projects.
Why do we protest?
● There has been a horribly history of accidents with the previous Hydropower stations due to landslides, incomplete environmental impact assessments, mudflows and floods. A significant part of the country is a mountainous, landslide-prone and seismic zone. (CAN made a video covering the risks of Namakhvani HPP being built within 20 kilometers from Kutaisi. In case of collapse, the dam will threaten the second largest city in Georgia with a flood wave.)
● Another reason to worry is the pristine ecosystems found in the forest near the area of construction. This is one the world's most untouched natural territories which will be annihilated, amid the ongoing sixth mass extinction.
● In addition, people's homes are being destroyed and the government is forcing entire villages out of the way for construction. Some human rights violations have been declared by the protesters as well as obstruction for the journalists to cover the story.
This is a matter of international interest. Georgia has ratified Paris agreement and, thus, promised to work for the 1,5-degree goal and protection of its ecosystems. Georgia has also signed an Association agreement with the EU and is supposed to comply with the human rights protection standards, the environmental impact assessment on the level which the EU requires.
The civil society demands are as following:
1. Improve the legislative-regulatory framework for risk assessment and prevention during the implementation of hydropower projects, as well as ensuring the safety of existing hydropower facilities;
2. Cancel the construction of the Namakhvani project;
3. Establish moratorium process for all the planned HPP projects in Georgia;
4. Develop a long-term strategy for the energy sector with wider society involvement (including local populations).
Georgia has great potential to develop alternative, renewable energy sources and receive: wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and waste energy, etc., whose total potential will increase the country's energy independence and at the same time protect and preserve the unique nature of Georgia. It will also contribute to the safe and sustainable development of local communities.
To realize this potential, the Government of Georgia needs to develop a renewable energy development strategy, which will involve non-governmental organizations along with the local population as one of the stakeholders.
What do you want the petition target(s) to do?
There are 2 things you can do to support The Greens Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth-Georgia:
1) Sign this petition.
2) Share this petition on social media. You can attach pictures on your social media channels using the following proposed text and hashtags: The Georgian police forces attacked a peaceful protest site against the Namakhvani Hydro Power Plant in Georgia. They demolished the tents of locals that were protesting the destructive project for 169 days already. We demand that the Georgian government stops the violation of human rights and the destruction of pristine ecosystems. 13.04.2021
#StopTheConstructionofNamakhvaniHPP
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#SolidarityToTheDefendersOfTheRioniValley

[The Greens Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth-Georgia]

Statement on the problems arising with the construction of Namakhvani HPPs in Georgia

Considering the most serious challenges faced by numerous hydropower plants built on the basis of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports of the recent period, the Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth - Georgia, together with local population and civil society activists, express distrust of the construction of large-scale hydropower plants (Kvemo Namokhvani HPP, Zemo Namokhvani HPP, Oni HPP Cascade, Sadmeli HPP, Ghebi HPP, planned cascade on the river Sakaura, etc.) in Ratcha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti region - highland, landslide-prone and one of the seismic zones of Georgia. Moreover, since the authors of the Namokhvani HPP cascade project are the companies that assessed and constructed Shuakhevi HPP tunnel, which collapsed within 2 months after the opening.

We, in line with the position of the the Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth-Georgia, are far from the idea of banning the use of hydro resources in Georgia. However, at the same time, we must remember and take into account that any decision must be based on environmental conservation, rational use, caution, expediency, best practices and protection and maximum involvement of the local population.

We also understand the government’s aspirations and efforts to ensure the country's energy independence with utilization of energy resources.

However, on the one hand, imperfect and inconsistent national legislation, and on the other hand, the unscrupulousness of investors (imperfection of the submitted project documentation and improper fulfillment of the written conditions) give us such a binary effect that ends in severe and irreparable consequences. That includes: damage of relict, endemic pristine ecosystem, displacement of local communities, change in local agrobiodiversity, increase in humidity, landslide, etc.

In particular:
-> Dariali HPP - In 2014, as a result of an incomplete environmental impact assessment, the construction site of the HPP was incorrectly selected, due to which the construction site was landslide twice, 5 people were killed;
-> Larsi HPP - 2014, mudflow actually buried it;
-> Shuakhevi HPP - 2017, within 2 months of the facility opening, one part of the diversion tunnel was completely demolished;
->  Mestiatchala - In 2017-2019, the area of hydropower plant was flooded several times, the water washed away the equipment of the construction company and destroyed the already arranged infrastructure, damaging the Lekhziri gorge. Large financial losses were incurred to the construction company, the local population and the state.

This proves once again, that the existing EIA documents do not reflect the reality and that the construction of hydropower plants do not take into consideration several dozen international environmental treaties ratified by Georgia and existing, even imperfect national legislation.

Unfortunately, despite our numerous appeals to the relevant agencies - the relevant structures of the executive branch of the country, the project investor and the builder have not taken any effective steps to improve the project documentation and EIA, as well as to actually assess the situation and expected risks. This makes the country's energy independence policy even more opaque and causes mistrust of the local population and CSOs towards these projects. All this has led to an unprecedented mobilization of the local population and civil society, which has been a continuous protest for several months.

 Based on the above, we call upon the Government of Georgia to suspend the construction of Namakhvani HPP, rather than:
-> Inspection of construction works carried out by the company in the project area of the Lower Namakhvani HPP will not be provided through the relevant agencies in order to determine compliance with the permit / permits issued within the project and to respond accordingly;
-> The interests of the local population and their proper involvement in the decision-making process will not be taken into account.

We consider it necessary:
1. To improve the legislative-regulatory framework in the field of assessment and prevention of potential risks during the implementation of hydropower projects, as well as ensuring the safety of existing hydropower facilities;
2. In view of the challenges posed by global climate change, the environmental impact assessment documentation for all existing and under construction hydropower projects should be revised and the assessment of potential risks should be properly reflected;
3. Prohibit the use of so-called "design building" during the implementation of energy projects;
4. Public awareness, full communication and stakeholder’s involvement in the decision-making process;
5. Ensuring access to contracts and other documents concluded with the investors.

Georgia has great potential to develop alternative, renewable energy sources and receive: wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and waste energy, etc., whose total potential will increase the country's energy independence and at the same time protect and preserve the unique nature of Georgia. It will also contribute to the safe and sustainable development of local communities. To realize this potential, we ask the Government of Georgia to develop an energy development strategy, which will involve non-governmental organizations along with the local population.

We emphasize that Georgia is a party to the Aarhus Convention and the government is obliged to ensure public involvement in decision-making on any environmental developments in the region - by improving the relevant procedures and mechanisms in national legislation!