INTRODUCTION!
Dzelkva Ltd. was established in 1998. It is an independent Georgian environmental consultancy offering a wide range of environmental services. Dzelkva has combined the regional expertise and experience gained over the past decades of both western business practice and working to international environmental best practice.

Dzelkva has close ties with the Georgian regulators, the Georgian scientific community and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Dzelkva is therefore well placed to address a wide range of environmental issues providing a quality service through innovative, pragmatic solutions to clients' needs. Dzelkva works closely with regulators and interested parties and strives for a continual broadening and improvement of its service to industry.

Dzelkva has 12 full-time staff and over 20 call-off experts in various disciplines.
CORE DISCIPLINES
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
Dzelkva provides expertise in all stages of the ESIA process. Dzelkva staff has been active in the production and management of numerous ESIAs for foreign companies and international environmental consultancies, covering a wide range of subjects.

Dzelkva has close ties with the Georgian regulators, the Georgian scientific community and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Dzelkva is therefore well placed to address a wide range of environmental issues providing a quality service through innovative, pragmatic solutions to clients' needs. Dzelkva works closely with regulators and interested parties and strives for a continual broadening and improvement of its service to industry.

Dzelkva has 12 full-time staff and over 20 call-off experts in various disciplines.

Dzelkva staff has undertaken the following:
  • Scoping exercises
  • Production of baseline reports in key areas such as botany and ecology
  • Development and implementation of environmental monitoring programmes
  • ESIA production
  • Interface with international consultancies in the production of ESIAs
Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Dzelkva can provide a wide range of services from initial data input into the GIS, to georeferencing and development of fully functional geodatabases.
Ecology
Dzelkva staff includes leading Georgian ecologists capable of addressing all environmental issues associated with biological sciences. These range from baseline literature reviews to Phase I and II field specialist surveys. Additionally, expertise is utilised in an applied context such as air quality monitoring using lichens as bio-indicators.

Dzelkva, in conjunction with Botanical Gardens, undertook a number of projects aimed at conservation of Red Data List and rare plant species combining ex-situ conservation, re-introduction into natural habitat and subsequent monitoring to ensure successful adaptation.

Dzelkva has also been actively involved in development of management plans for proposed protected areas including baseline data collection and analysis, identification of threats and development of adequate conservation management measures.

Over the recent decade Dzelkva has provided ecological management services to cross-country pipeline projects through all stages of project development (pre-construction, construction, commissioning and operation) including development and implementation of short- and long-term monitoring programs, habitat restoration / landscaping projects.

Development and Implementation of Reinstatement and Landscape Plans
  • Implementation of erosion control measures and re-instatement of construction sites to the technical standards employed in the UK and European Union, especially in landslide and erosion-prone areas
  • Restoration of the original landforms in environmentally sensitive areas
  • Restoration of previously undeveloped land disturbed by temporary construction facilities to its former state
  • Reinstatement of land where roads or tracks are built or significantly upgraded solely to provide access to construction sites.

Erosion-preventive bioengineering measures proposed and implemented by Dzelkva are focused on enhanced use of the local species.

Dzelkva has also implemented major landscape schemes including the identification and sourcing of suitable native species, planting and subsequent maintenance.
Development and Implementation of Biorestoration and Ecocompensation Programs
Dzelkva has developed major biorestoration and ecological compensation programs for proposed / operational oil and gas pipelines in Georgia. Input included identification of species and habitats of conservation value, determination of habitat loss, development of adequate measures (from planning stage to sourcing species and provision of nurseries) and facilitation of relevant permitting processes through participation in workshops and discussions with the regulators and NGOs.
Summary of Bio restoration Activities
  • Selection of species for restoration of vegetation cover
  • Selection of methods of vegetation establishment e.g. reliance on soil seed bank, broadcasting of seed mixes, livestaking, sapling planting, use of nurse crops during the early establishment phase
  • Rates of application e.g. sowing rates, planting densities
  • Surface treatment required e.g. tillage, topsoil preparation
  • Soil amelioration required e.g. addition of fertiliser, mulching
  • Aftercare requirements e.g. watering during establishment, additional fertilisation, weed clearance, marking locations of sensitive species for monitoring
  • Specific requirements e.g. for ecologically important species
Ecological Compensation
  • Species selection and identification of requirements for land preparation and management of planting sites
  • Development of appropriate management actions to encourage target habitats in degraded areas
  • Development of management plans and time-schedules from collecting plant material in the wild to seeding and planting onsite and aftercare requirements, including management actions for degraded areas. Management plans include, for example, the actions necessary for rare plants: whether to recover from project areas and immediately re-locate, or to recover, maintain, and then re-introduce into to the original location. Plans also incorporate maps detailing the areas identified for habitat creation/management and annotated with key species/actions
  • Compensatory restoration / offset planting: habitat design and establishment in areas external to the project to compensate for the permanent loss of habitat resulting from project activities
Contamination Evaluation and remedial Technologies
Dzelkva staff has pioneered microbial and enzyme-based environmental methodologies allowing remediation of contaminated water and soil environments in a cost-efficient and effective manner. The success of this approach was recognised by the Georgian regulators and international lending institutions.

Dzelkva has provided extensive consulting services covering evaluation of existing contamination, development of in-situ remedial measures and training of clients' staff in routine management of contamination issues. In addition, the company can assist in establishment of ex-situ bioremediation site / facility when environmental conditions do not facilitate development and implementation of in-situ remedial activities.
Agroecology
Dzelkva staff and call-off experts have extensive background in applied agricultural research related to introduction and promotion of sustainable agroecological approaches. The company can provide quality services in the following:
  • Soil fertility and erodibility evaluation including determination of mechanical, chemical and agrochemical properties
  • Evaluation of efficiency of prevailing agricultural practices
  • Integrated plant disease / pest management
  • Development of recommendations aimed at crop and harvest enhancement