The Rioni River is a major watercourse in Western Georgia. Being the largest water body of the region, it has a total catchment area of about 13,400 km2 that makes up approximately 20% of the whole Georgian territory. The lower Rioni pilot watershed area, for which the given Natural Resources Integrated Management Plan (hereafter Integrated Watershed Management Plan - IWMP] ) is developed, encompasses the territory for about 419.8 km2 area (total area of the Khobi municipality is 676 km2, of which 27.0 km2 belongs to the lower Rioni pilot watershed area; and the total area of the Senaki municipality is 520.7 km2, of which 392.9 km2 belongs to the lower Rioni pilot watershed area). The pilot area is more densely populated compared to the upper Rioni and Alazani - Iori pilot watershed areas; it also has comparatively a higher degree of urbanization and industrialization. Therefore, the utilization of health protection and economic functions/values of these ecosystems and their resources overweigh the utilization of their ecological, aesthetic, and recreation values/functions.