“In winter, the sheep were everywhere. There were so many that they looked like snowflakes scattered across the valley. That image has stayed with me. It was visually striking, but it also reflected the intensity of grazing in parts of the landscape. The imbalance between natural processes and land use stood out immediately.” Aleksandre Mikeladze, Project Manager at SABUKO, is describing his first impressions of the Iori River Valley seven years ago, before SABUKO began their restoration project funded by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme in its first phase in 2019.
The Iori River Valley in south-eastern Georgia is a remarkable landscape of wide-open semi-desert and steppe, shaped by forested ridges and deeply eroded gullies. At its heart lies a mosaic of semi-arid tablelands, threaded with narrow ribbons of gallery forest and scattered pockets of riverside marshland.
Despite its often harsh and arid appearance, the valley supports remarkable biodiversity. The river and its floodplain forests provide essential water, shelter and breeding habitat for wildlife, while the surrounding steppes sustain a rich community of grassland species.
But as Mikeladze reflects, in 2019 this landscape and its unique ecosystems were degraded, fragmented and under threat not only from overgrazing, but also mismanagement. SABUKO saw an opportunity though: “there were areas where land had been abandoned or managed differently, which created fragmentation and a loss of habitat continuity. But despite this, the ecosystem was surprisingly resilient. In more remote areas, you could still find intact steppe vegetation. The landscape was clearly under strain, but still holding on. It was still capable of recovery,” says Mikeladze.
Where tradition meets restoration
The Iori River Valley has been shaped by centuries of human activity. Seasonal shepherding remains a defining feature of the region, with around three-quarters of Georgia’s sheep brought to Kakheti to overwinter. Agriculture, irrigation schemes and the damming of the Iori River have also left their mark on the landscape.
Yet despite these influences, the valley retains a remarkable sense of openness and remoteness. Communities of shepherds and farmers lives nomadically so there are no towns or villages scattered across its plains, no tarmac roads cutting through the terrain, and only a handful of fences interrupting the horizon. Mikeladze explains that shepherding traditions are as much a part of the landscape as its nature. “The communities that move through the valley are deeply connected to the land. They’ve been using the area for generations, and their way of life fits naturally within the landscape.”
For this reason, working alongside these nomadic communities was a core component of the project from its inception. “Our long-term goal was to create a landscape where people could coexist harmoniously with nature in the valley,” Mikeladze explains. “The livelihoods of shepherding communities in the Iori River Valley are completely intertwined with the health of the landscape. Sheep farming depends entirely on the quality of the pasture so restoring healthy ecosystems helps improve conditions for shepherds and their flocks.”
The SABUKO team quickly learned that engaging with these communities isn’t just a single activity – it’s a process. “We spent a lot of time meeting with people, visiting repeatedly and listening,” says Mikeladz. “Farmers understand the land in a very different way. They don’t just analyse it. They feel it. Many spend five or six months every year in the same pastures, over decades. That kind of familiarity creates a deep, intuitive knowledge. We had to move away from the idea that we were there to provide answers. Instead, we worked with them – understanding their challenges and co-designing solutions together.”
Building trust in the valley
SABUKO also took a very informal approach. “We didn’t arrive with big meetings or presentations. Instead, we spent time in the landscape and people became curious,” Mikeladze explains. “Marinus Gebhardt [SABUKO’s grassland restoration expert] would spend long periods out in the field observing. Farmers would come up to him and ask questions. He simply explained that he was interested in how people lived and worked there. At one point, he was even in the area with his wife and newborn baby. That really surprised people. It sounds small, but moments like that helped break barriers. They made us relatable.”
Over time, SABUKO was able to develop genuine connections with the shepherds. They shared materials and had informal discussions to better understand their lives. Mikeladze stresses that this wasn’t about strategy. It was about connection.
“We would speak with one farmer, then another, and realise they were describing very similar issues. Bringing that back to them helped create a sense of shared understanding. Eventually, we could bring people together to discuss solutions collectively.”
A landscape coming back to life
This collaborative approach has proved to be very effective. Over their three-year funding period, SABUKO was able to implement rotational grazing schemes across 4,500 ha and reintroduce seasonal flooding to 11,600m² of floodplain forest by securing water releases from the Dali reservoir. Water infrastructure has also been installed for livestock – including 13 ponds and one well – to reduce pressure on sensitive floodplain zones.
“It became clear quite early that what we were doing worked. Not just ecologically, but socially,” says Mikeladze. And some signs of ecosystem recovery are already visible to the naked eye. “There’s one moment that stays with me. During the filming of our first documentary, the filmmaker managed to capture a surprising amount of wildlife in a relatively short time. That wouldn’t have been easy before. It really showed us that something was shifting. The wildlife was there, and increasingly visible. Even without formal data, you can feel that the landscape is becoming more alive.”
The future
Since the launch of the Iori River Valley project, SABUKO has scaled their work in the region and in 2022 received an ELSP grant for a second project in Kakheti. “Wildlife doesn’t recognise boundaries. We saw evidence of species moving beyond the original Iori River Valley project area, which reinforced the idea of expanding restoration efforts,” Mikeladze explains.
For Mikeladze, the future for both landscapes looks bright. “I see them as working landscapes where people and nature coexist. A place where pastoral traditions continue, but in a way that supports biodiversity. Healthy grasslands, better soil, and sustainable grazing all contributing to a balanced ecosystem.”
To find out more about the Iori River Valley, visit their project page. This article was written as part of a series for Restoration Works, an ambitious communications campaign celebrating the achievements of the first seven projects supported by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme.
This article was written by Rachel Gartner, ELSP Communications and Network Manager.
