World Bank commissioned TBSC to conduct a rapid environmental assessment of the current practices and study feasibility of the provision of alternative livelihood to forest user communities. Project objective was to highlight the challenges and produce recommendation for building sustainable people-forest relationships with special focus on NTFPs. For that purpose, TBSC documented current use of NTFPs in forest-depending communities and how current (and potential) NTFPs contribute to HH livelihoods; also identified the negative impact and unsustainable uses of NTFPs by local HHs and others. TBSC identified six Target locations near the forest edge covering all major forest types and ecological zones. The fieldwork was carried out in the following municipalities: Akhmeta, Dmanisi, Dusheti, Kharagauli, Ambrolauri and Keda. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were conducted in six Target locations to understand people-forest relations and NTFP exploitation patterns.
