Arend Kolhoff
Technical sectretary
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl) requested the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment to review the scoping report on the "development, rehabilitation and subsequent operation and maintenance of the Zemo-Samgori irrigation system in the North East of Tbilisi, Georgia".
Significant details
In March 2016 the NCEA has reviewed (1st advice) the scoping report for the ESIA in the 1st advice was concluded that the scoping report did not meet good practice standards as required by RVO.
The adjusted scoping report (June, 2016) was reviewed and the NCEA came to the same conclusion in its 2nd draft advisory report. In consultation with GA-Georgia and RVO it was concluded that it was not useful to submit the 2nd advice. As an alternative approach a site visit was organised to assist GE-Georgia and their consultant in preparing a site and project specific scoping report. Therefore during the site visit also a workshop was organised by the NCEA. Moreover, the 2nd advisory report was adjusted and submitted. The Scoping report (November 2016) was adjusted and a review by the NCEA (review has been submitted in the form of a letter, Advice of the Secretariat, December 2016 ) has included all recommendations of the 2nd advisory report. The draft ESIA report is expected to be ready for review in April 2018.
In October 2018 the third advisory report was prepared by a working group of the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment in which the findings are presented of a review of the quality of the ESIA report (August, 2018) for the rehabilitation of Zemo-Samgori irrigation project in Georgia.