Last updated: May 2025
The Mziuri Park in the center of Tbilisi and adjacent to the city's zoo was heavily impacted by floods and landslides that occured in June 2015 in Georgia. As a result, many of its facilities were destroyed, necessating the redevelopment of the site (Ref. 1,2). In 2017, the Georgian government initiated the Urban Reconstruction and Development (GURAD) Project with funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) under the 100 million € framework loan. The park's reconstuction is one of multiple projects under the natural disaster recovery component of the GUARD Fund (Ref. 1,2). As of 2020, the park has been fully redeveloped catering to the needs of diverse groups, but especially youth and children with a number of different sports, cultural and recreational areas (Ref. 3,4). Importantly, construction was carried out under consideration of spatial adaptation measures for people with disabilities and with a renewed drainage system to mitigate the effects of future floods (Ref. 1). The park is now again one of the most important recreational areas in Tbilisi (Ref. 3).
Top view of a section of the Mziuri Park
Marketer: https://www.marketer.ge/mziuri-park-renovation/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Landslides reduction
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- River flooding
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Landslides & mudslides
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Ecological restoration of existing green spaces
Project objectives
Goal 1: Restore and redevelop the damaged area as a result of the 2015 flooding disaster (Ref. 1):
1.1.: restoration of the walking paths (Ref. 1)
1.2.: arrangement and restoration of the existing drainage network (Ref. 1)
1.3.: new walking and biking paths (Ref. 1)
1.4.: new recreation areas for children and adults (Ref. 1)
1.5.: comfortable resting places (Ref. 1)
Goal 2: Mitigate the risks of a similar event in future (Ref. 2)
Goal 3: Include measures for people with limited abilities (Ref. 1)
Implementation activities
Project implementation activities, organised based on the defined goals of the project:
Goal 1) (i) Drafting a master plan/design of the rehabilitated area, (ii) developing sports areas (e.g. skate park, open-air gym, multi-sport area, parkour square), (iii) demolishment of damaged areas and construction of new ones, (iv) arrangement and planning of trees and bushes
Goal 2): Improvement of the drainage and stormwater system by
- Rehabilitation and expansion of central drainage pipe
- Relocation of electric power transformer to non-flood prone area
- Arrangement of engineering networks including : Wastewater systems; Drainage systems; Sewage system
- Based on hydrological and geological surveys
Goal 3) Construction is carried out under consideration of spatial adaptation measures for people with limited abilities
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
- Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups , People with functional diversities
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- National government
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- The project didn't involve any form of stakeholder participatory activities
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project was implemented by the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia and the Municipal Development Fund of Georgia together with the Tbilisi City Hall. (Ref. 3)
Redevelopment of the park was financed with support of the EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) (Ref. 2)
Private Company: not disclosed what landscaping company, however the city published a tender to contract the works necessary for rehabilitation (Ref. 1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(Urban Reconstruction and Development (GURAD) Plan (Ref. 6))
... a local policy or strategy?
No
Type of enablers
Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
€2,000,000 - €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- EU funds
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
- Other funding types are unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Achieved strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
- Achieved enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Expected increased protection against flooding
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Restoration of derelict areas
- Achieved restoration of derelict areas
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
- Safety
- Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
- Achieved improved community safety to climate-related hazards
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
Municipal Development Fund of Georgia (2017). Addendum #2 to Bidding Document for Design and Construction of Mziuri Park in Tbilisi Identification Number: EIB/GURAD/EMER/CW/NCB/08-2017. Tbilisi: Accessed on August 10, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Mikadze, T., Ondrejička, D. (2020). Tbilisi Mziuri Park reopened with EU support. European Union, Accessed on August 10, 2024, [Source link];
3.
marketer (2020). „მზიურის“ რეაბილიტაცია სრულდება. Accessed on August 11, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Agenda.ge (2020). Mziuri Park damaged by 2015 flood reopened. Tbilisi: Accessed on August 11, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia (2018). "Mziuri Park is bringing to mind lots of memories and I am pleased that it will assume new lease of life". Accessed on August 11, 2024, [Source link];
6.
European Investment Bank (n.d.). Georgia Urban Reconstruction and Development FL . Accessed on August 20, 2024, [Source link];
View of the artificial pond inside the Mziuri Park
Marketer: https://www.marketer.ge/mziuri-park-renovation/
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.