Building a green state? Environmental politics in Georgia

Abstract

Can green states exist in a non-Western context? Much research has been focused on environmental politics in advanced industrialized economies, and the associated institutions, policy, and resources available for environmental protection efforts. Outside this narrow context however, we know far less about the progress states have made in developing their national systems of environmental governance. This gap in our understanding is particularly evident when it comes to the post-Soviet context. Using a case study of Georgia, this analysis evaluates environmental governance capacity in a transition state drawing on a framework derived from the green state literature. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia has faced considerable political and economic upheaval, and in the midst of it all, the country has embarked on an ambitious program of environmental reform. The findings suggest that while the basic internal foundations of a green state exist, including considerable policy and legislative development and solid environmental financing, key challenges remain. These are centered on an unstable institutional environment, and weak policy enforcement. However non-state actors such as NGOs and international organizations provide crucial support and are likely to remain essential in building and maintaining environmental capacity in the future.