Medgar Tchelidze is an environmental and resettlement specialist, whose areas of expertise include: preparing environmental impact assessments and environmental audits of industrial projects, feasibility studies and strategic environmental assessments (energy and transport sectors, infrastructure development), risk assessments, emergency preparedness, environmental security, and Resettlement Action Plans.

Mr. Tchelidze’s background is in biophysics and he holds a PhD in biology. As a biophysicist he has worked in scientific centers of Georgia (Georgian Branch of the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology; Republican Center of Angiology), Russia (Moscow, Institute of Biological Testing of Chemical Compounds), and published articles in international scientific journals. During the last 12 years he has gained a wealth of practical knowledge in the environmental field through a number of capacity building/technical assistance programs offered by the EU, TACIS, WB, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

From 2000 until the end of 2005, Mr. Tchelidze was Environmental Manager of the Georgian National Oil Corporation. During this time, he participated in the review of the environmental articles of the Host Governmental Agreements related to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Oil Pipeline (BTC) and the South Caucasian Pipeline (SCP gas pipeline), managed a multidisciplinary team charged with reviewing the project documents (strategic EIA – route selection, the ESIA, Resettlement Action Plan and Emergency Response and Oil Spill Response Plans), performed environmental and social monitoring of the BTC and SCP pipeline construction, and monitored the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP) operation and maintenance activities.

From 2006 till September 2010 Mr. Tchelidze worked as the Environmental and Social Specialist of the Municipal Development Fund of Georgia (MDF). In this position he provided monitoring and evaluation of infrastructure development projects on their compliance with the MCC and WB environmental and social guidelines. In particular, several feasibility studies for water supply, irrigation and dam rehabilitation projects have been reviewed and appropriate screening/scoping exercises performed (e.g. water supply projects for the cities Poti, Kutaisi, Kobuleti, Rustavi, Borjomi and irrigation and dam rehabilitation projects for the Sioni Dam, Algeti Dam, Samgori Irrigation System, etc.).

From 2006 Medgar Chelidze is Founder and Chariman of the Board of WEG. Besides his engagement with WEG, Mr. Tchelidze works as an independent expert consultant and as Project Manager and cofounder (2004) of the environmental consulting company Environmental Technologies, Ltd (ET Ltd). During last 7 years as a Team Leader he has implemented 35 projects related to preparation of EIAs, environmental and social due diligence and resettlement documents (RFP, RAP etc.). These projects were related with the development of infrastructure: highways and railways, oil and gas infrastructure, water supply and wastewater systems, waste management infrastructure etc. Most of these development projects (30) were financed by IFIs (EBRD, WB, ADB, US Government, SIDA).

Experience of Mr. Tchelidze was used for capacity building of governmental and private organizations. As a WB and EBRD contracted consultant he has provided trainings and capacity building programs for Road Department (Environmental Management and Resettlement), Healthcare Authorities (Medical Waste Management), Batumis Avtotransporti Ltd (Environmental and Social Management), Several Epidemiological Monitoring Stations and Veterinary Laboratories (Environmental Management)