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Environmental Issues in Georgia

Georgia is situated in the South Caucasus Region bordered by the Black Sea to the North the Russian Federation to the North, Azerbaijan to the East, Turkey to the Southwest and Armenia to the South.

Georgia is a small country supplied with profitable regular resources, heavenly scenes, copious water assets, rich living spaces, and perfect ecosystems that are of local and worldwide significance.

Georgia is on an optimized plan of economic development. Economic development is a reason for nation welfare, which may affect the environment and natural resources negatively. The experience of developed countries has proven that economic growth can exacerbate environment and natural resource problems[1]. Numerous regions require consideration and activities that ought to go past customary ecological mainstreaming [2].

Issues:

Climate Change

Like any other country, Georgia faces varying climate change impacts. Agriculture is of central importance to Georgia, accounting for a large portion of employment, rural growth and livelihood, food security, and exports. However, the sector is highly sensitive to adverse changes in climate-related conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and frequency of extreme events (e.g. droughts, floods, storms)[3] According to Sophiko Akhobadze, Deputy Executive Director of Rec Caucasus, a nongovernmental organization and one of the largest environmental groups in the Caucasus, the number of floods in Georgia has doubled during the last 10 years, and drought is continuing to increase[4].

Land and Forest Degradation

The Georgian Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources Protection rates 35 % of its agricultural land as being degraded and, as per the Ministry of Agriculture, 60% of agrarian land in Georgia is of low or middle production quality[5]. Significant drivers of land degradation are overgrazing, unplanned urban sprawling, and deforestation.

Soil erosion processes, although considered natural phenomena, are exacerbated by different kinds of unsustainable human activities. Some of these are unsustainable mining and construction (e.g. hydropower infrastructures), uncontrolled logging, poorly regulated urbanization, industrial activities in riverbeds, and a lack of compliance with land use regulations and with environmental and hydrological standards[6].

Due to the deterioration of land and the overlooked issues regarding the environment, flood control and determent of such periodical calamities caused by landslides and flash floods are imminent.

Air Pollution

Deterioration of air quality is one of the many consequences of increased economic activity that comes with urbanization. In the case of Georgia, air pollution mainly comes from the transportation, industrial, and energy sectors.

The Georgian population is exposed to one or more major environmental health risks. Particulate matter is the outdoor air pollutant that globally is associated with the largest health effects. The major ambient air pollutants monitored in Georgia include particulate matter (total suspended particulates [TSP]), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO2, NO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

Major air pollution sources in Georgia are the traffic, industrial and energy sectors. In Georgia the public transport system is not sufficiently developed. In return, a significant proportion of the population uses private vehicles as the preferred mode of transport. The number of private vehicles has grown rapidly over the past decade and has almost doubled in the last five year period. The country has seen a sharp rise in the number of old, dirty diesel vehicles on the road over the last decade and pollution testing is virtually non-existent[7]. Surprisingly, WHO and IEA provides a data that shows Georgia having the deadliest air in the world.

Water Resources and Pollution

Georgia has plentiful water assets. Among the aggregate water assets of 63 billion m3/year (long haul normal) just 1.6 billion m3/year or around 2% are being preoccupied. Around 66% of the disconnected water is utilized for inundated horticulture, and the other third for city and mechanical employments[8].

Significant issues that lead to water pollution are surface water contamination by squanders and unreasonable water utilize. Water contamination is associated with human movement, such as industrial waste, municipal waste, waste from health centers, and surfaces waste from agri production. Waste management problems are a big contributor to pollution in the country of Georgia. For instance, according to the Minister of Environment Protection of Georgia, George Kachidze, high levels of ammonia and BOD3 are reported for most of the observed rivers and concentrations of heavy metals exceed permissible levels at certain locals on particular rivers.

Areas along Georgia, around 310 kilometers of coastline, are starting to feel the effects of conduit waste water that is beginning from the development of more than 170 million people who live adjacent the various streams that energize the Black Sea.   

Black Sea

Located in the West of Georgia is the Black Sea. Zones along Georgia's just about 310 kilometers of coastline are beginning to feel the impacts of waterway waste water that is starting from the movement of more than 170 million individuals who live nearby the numerous streams that encourage the Black Sea. In Georgia, similar to the case in numerous nations, low public mindfulness and comprehension of the effect that anthropogenic exercises have on the earth has been a center driver of its commitment to the contaminated waters of the Black Sea [9].

Waste Management

The effect of waste and chemical clutter led to one of the most prominent environmental problems in Georgia. Environmental pollution caused by littering of hazardous wastes and landfill abuse puts the country into habitual danger. Moreover, accumulated litter and disorderly management of trash aggravate the current situation of their domain. There are 63 registered landfills, which occupy more than 300 ha of which 203 ha are active landfills (MENRP 2012). Most of these landfill sites operate without proper measure, supervision by the government, and proper integration of waste collection system[10]. Currently, the standardized collection of household wastes is only executed in big cities and district centers, disregarding garbage collection in other places, which further impairs the waste management issue of their country. In some settlements, particularly in villages, residents tend to solve their waste problems by dumping wastes in nearby ravines, along the roads or onto riverbanks.                                              

Biodiversity loss

Georgia represents one of 34 biodiversity “hotspots” identified by Conservation International as areas distinguished for having high levels of endemism whilst also being seriously threatened by habitat loss. The Caucasus eco-region, where Georgia is part of, is identified as having global significance by WWF due also to high levels of diversity and of specific evolutional processes and unique historical floral and faunal development[11].

The main threats for the biodiversity of Georgia are the degradation and loss of habitats and unsustainable use of biological resources, which are also the impacts of the various environmental issues discussed above. The United Nations Convention specifies that the  principal causes of species habitat loss and degradation would be timber logging, water pollution and intensive grazing.

Policies and Institutions:

Article 37 of the Constitution of Georgia states “Everyone shall have the right to live in a healthy environment and enjoy natural and cultural surroundings” [12]. This provides the basis for environmental policy and the protection of natural resources .

Environmental policy integration is an essential tool for balancing economic, social and environmental interests in a way to maximize total benefits and minimize conflicts and inconsistencies. There is a growing understanding that environmental, development and social issues are strongly interdependent, and that a healthy environment is a necessary precondition for social welfare and economic development. At the same time, environmental policy integration has been a key governance challenge in many countries.                                                                                                       

Since Georgia gained its independence in 1991 before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia’s transition has been oriented toward integration with its democratic allies, such as the European Union.

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resource Protection (MENRP)

MENRP is the main environmental policy maker in Georgia that manages and oversees ecological administration capacities. The service goes about as an advocate in the ecological enactment handle. The most difficult managerial elements of MENRP incorporate environmental permitting and supervision.

Agencies under the MENRP:

National Environment Agency (NEA) was set up on June 31, 2008 and is responsible for issuing licenses for natural resource use, excluding licenses for oil extractions and exploitation. NEA is independent from the public governance bodies, which implements its activities independently, but is subject to control from the state[13].

National Forest Agency is authorized to oversee nearly two million hectares of forest and woodland in the country. The main objectives of the agency are to look after the forest and carry out reforestation activities, and utilize segments of biological diversity on the territory of the Georgian Forest Fund sustainably and economically[14].                    

National Environmental Action Plan 2

Adopted in January 2012 by the Government of Georgia, this action plan sets long-term goals and short term targets that provides and implements respective activities to target environmental issues in the country. It focuses on eleven themes namely climate change, waste and chemical substances, nuclear radiation safety, natural and man-made disasters, water resources, air, biodiversity, land resources, forestry, mineral resources, and Black Sea [15].

Policy integration is an essential condition for the successful implementation of NEAP-2. As it evident, all issues covered by the NEAP are cross-cutting. Without coordinated action of all involved ministries and local governments, implementation of particular measures and correspondingly, achievement of goals set by NEAP-2 will be impossible. Major efforts should be made by the competent state institutions to find a platform for cooperation and coordination of actions. It is also very important to coordinate these actions with donors to provide them with a clear picture of Georgia’s needs and to avoid potential overlaps in different projects. Environmental policy integration is important not only in terms of preserving the environment but also for securing long-term sustainable economic growth and human welfare.

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[1] NEAP of Georgia 2012-2016. http://www.preventionweb.net/files/28719_neap2.eng.pdf

[2] The World Bank: Georgia Country Environmental Analysis. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/293731468001755898/pdf/ACS13945-WP-P147475-Box391501B-PUBLIC-6-26-15.pdf

[3] World Bank: Climate Change and Agriculture Note. www.worldbank.org/eca/climateandagriculture

[4] Global Climate Change News Brief. https://hendrawanm.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/georgia-facing-serious-climate-change-problems/

[5] United Nations Environment Programme http://www.unep.org/roe/NewsCentre/tabid/7140/EntryId/978609/UNEP-to-help-fight-land-degradation-in-Georgia.aspx

[6] The World Bank: Georgia Country Environmental Analysis. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/293731468001755898/pdf/ACS13945-WP-P147475-Box391501B-PUBLIC-6-26-15.pdf

[7] Based on WHO and IEA Analysis Data http://cbw.ge/georgia/georgia-no-1-among-deadliest-air-polluted-countries/

[8]Georgian Water and Power: Republic Georgia Country Report. http://www.gwp.org/Global/GWP-CACENA_Files/en/pdf/georgia.pdf

[9] UNEP: Black Sea in Pollution Crisis: Georgian Communities Take Action http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2797&ArticleID=10960&l=en

[10] Georgia Environmental and Climate Change Policy Brief. http://sidaenvironmenthelpdesk.se/wordpress3/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Georgia-EnvCC-Policy-Brief-Draft-090130.pdf

[11] Fourth National Report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity: Georgia. https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/ge/ge-nr-04-en.pdf

[12] Georgia's Constitution of 1995 with Amendments through 2013.

https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Georgia_2013.pdf?lang=en

[13] nea.gov.ge

[14] forest.gov.ge

[15] Asian Development Bank. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/linked-documents/cps-geo-2014-2018-ena.pdf

Note: Annotated Bibliography to be posted asap.