Georgia

From WaterWiki.net

Georgia is part of:
Caucasus · Europe & CIS · Western Asia ·
Water Basins of Georgia:
Black Sea · Coruh · Kura-Araks · Psou · Sulak · Terek ·

Facts & Figures

edit

Capital

Tbilisi

Neighbouring Countries

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey

Total Area

69,700 km²

- Water

0 km² (0.00%) / 0 m²/ha

- Land

69,700 km²

Coastline

310 km

Population

4,630,841 (66.4 inhab./km²)

HDI^A

0.763 (2007)

Gini Coefficient^A

40.4 (1995)

Nominal GDP^B

$13,280 million

GDP (PPP) Per Capita^B

$5,000

National UN Presence

FAO, UNDP, UNHCR, WHO, UNICEF, WB

Land Use^C

- Cultivated Land

10,664 km² (15.3%)

- Arable

8,022 km² (11.51%)

- Permanent Crops

2,642 km² (3.79%)

- Irrigated

4,690 km²

- Non cultivated

1,496,402 km² (84.7%)

Average Annual Rainfall^D

1026 mm

Renewable Water Resources^E

63.3 km³

Water Withdrawals^F	3.61 km³/yr
- For Agricultural Use	59%
- For Domestic Use	20%
- For Industrial Use	21%
- Per Capita	765 m³

Population with safe access to
- Improved Water Source	82%
- Urban population	96%
- Rural population	67%
- Improved Sanitation	94%
- Urban population	96%
- Rural population	91%

References & Remarks

^A UNDP Human Development Report

^B CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia

^C CIA World Factbook Country Profiles

^D Aquastat - FAO's Information System on Water and Agriculture

^E CIA World Factbook

^F Earthtrends

Latest 4 maps for / including Georgia (more..):

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1 News
2 Country Profile: Climate, Geography, Socio-Economic Context
3 Country Profile: Water Bodies and Resources
4 Country Profile: Legal and Institutional Environment
5 Country Profile: Water Sector Coordination
6 Country Profile: Trends in Water Use, Management and Sanitation
7 Country Profile: Challenges and Opportunities
8 Articles
9 Projects and Case Studies
10 Publications
11 Who is Who
12 References
13 See also
14 External Resources

News

Type & Date	Short Description	Link
3 October 2008	Post-conflict Georgia: water chlorine increased	FIND OUT MORE

Country Profile: Climate, Geography, Socio-Economic Context

Country Profile: Water Bodies and Resources

Georgia has the richest water resources in the South Caucasus. There are two main river basins: the Black Sea basin in the west and the Caspian Sea basin in the east. There are 43 dams, most in the east and used primarily for irrigation of fruit trees and grapes, pasture and fodder crops, vegetables, potatoes, wheat, maize and sunflowers and hydropower rather than for potable water supply.

In 2005, 66% of Georgia’s water sources were from surface water and 34% were from groundwater. Irrigation and livestock generated the most withdrawals at 65%, whereas 22% went to municipal use and 13% to industry. Ninety-three percent of the irrigation systems are surface irrigation and 7% are localized irrigation, in which water is distributed via a network of pipes. Water distribution is uneven throughout the country due to the range of precipitation in the humid west and semi-arid east. In the eastern region, droughts are common and irrigation is necessary.

Despite its rich water deposits, Georgia is still experiencing difficulties in supplying the population with safe drinking water, especially in rural areas. The underground water deposits remain the main source of drinking water, providing 90% of the water supply system. Currently 84% of urban and 15.7% of the rural population is centrally supplied with drinking water.

The water sector suffers from contamination as a result of the deterioration of the sewage system and agricultural wastes, a deficit of clean drinking water, and low sanitary and technical standards of the water supply system. Sixty percent of existing water pipelines have deteriorated, and sanitary and technical conditions are unsatisfactory. Due to network damage, large quantities of water are lost: in 1999, 40% of the household water supply was lost. Water supply in the east also suffers from severe to moderate saline contamination due to a dilapidated irrigation system.

Although there is a lack of current reliable data on surface water quality, various studies and expert' estimates indicate that major rivers and tributaries in both the Kura-Araks and Black Sea Basins are polluted, predominantly by municipal wastewater discharges. The Kura River is polluted downstream from the cities of Borjomi, Gori, Tbilisi and Rustavi. One of the major concerns within the Kura-Araks River Basin is the pollution of river Mashavera, downstream from Madneluli, where there is a copper mining industry. In the Black Sea Basin, the Rioni River is considerably polluted downstream from Kutaisi, a major urban area in Western Georgia, and Poti near the Black Sea.

The quality of drinking water is of particular concern in Georgia. In total approximately 18% to 24% of samples collected from central water systems in the years 2000 and 2001 violated Georgian norms for chemical and microbiological constituents. Samples from 13 towns and cities exceeded microbiological norms by 50% or more.

Tenure Issues

Water is the property of the state and under the control of the national government.

The Law on Water provides for the licensing of water use and discharge of pollutants. Licenses for municipal water systems and irrigation are for 25 years, and those for wastewater discharge are for 3 to 5 years. As an exception to this, facilities in place before 1999 operate under a system of allowable limits. Under both systems, users pay a fee to withdraw clean water and to discharge wastewater. If discharge is above allowable limits, users pay a proportionally higher fine. Self-reporting is used with minimal government oversight. Requirements for permits for water withdrawal have recently been suspended.

As of 2003, no municipal wastewater treatment plants were operating under a license. The 27 industrial facilities under license represented only 5% of the total wastewater generated by industry.

Country Profile: Legal and Institutional Environment

Legal Framework

Although Georgia has no comprehensive national water policy, over a dozen laws relate to the management and protection of Georgia’s water resources and related environmental issues; the most important of these is the 1997 Law on Water (as amended 2000). The Law on Water governs pollution control, protection of drinking water, licensing of water use and discharge, categorization of and protection of resources, and flood control, among other topics. The Law on Water states that water protection is a major element of environmental protection for Georgian citizens; drinking-water has the highest priority; both groundwater and surface water are under state control; management of water varies depending on its hydrologic importance; and pollution is restricted. Multiple legislative orders, decrees, and regulations supplement this law.

A 2006 draft concept paper on a national water policy identifies the government’s primary goal as ensuring effective water management within the next 25 years. In addition, the paper identifies the following priorities: maintaining ecological value and functions of water resources; maintaining quality and quantity; ensuring access to safe drinking water; and maintaining the hydrological regime and undertaking flood and drought-prevention activities.

Institutional Framework

Soviet-era institutional arrangements for water supply and sanitation remain unchanged. Water utilities are state agencies and the majority of funding comes from state budgets.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection is responsible for implementing the Law on Water, although other ministries play roles in specific areas. In conjunction with the Centre for Monitoring and Prognostication, the Ministry is responsible for assessing the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater.

The Ministry of Economic and Sustainable Development is tasked with developing a water sector policy, setting water service standards, and mobilizing financing for the sector. The National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission has been responsible for approving water tariffs.

The Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs sets standards for drinking water, recreational use, and wastewater used for irrigation.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, with the Department of Melioration and Water Resources, is responsible for planning, monitoring, and promoting irrigated agriculture.

The Ministry of Finance sets water use and emission rates that are incorporated into licenses issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection.

The effectiveness of these institutions is constrained due to their lack of basic tools to monitor compliance. Additionally, government has no authority to conduct on-site inspections unless by court order.

With support of the EU, the Government of Georgia is creating a single comprehensive legislative framework governing water resources. The government is also developing guidelines for water and wastewater tariffs that will promote economic use of resources and meet financial obligations, including full cost-recovery and profitability

Country Profile: Water Sector Coordination

See Sector coordination sub-page for detailed description

Country Profile: Trends in Water Use, Management and Sanitation

Country Profile: Challenges and Opportunities

Donor Interventions

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has authorized a US $30 million loan for a Municipal Services Development Project, scheduled through 2013; the project is intended to increase the effectiveness of municipal governments in identifying, planning, delivering, and recovering costs of municipal infrastructure and services, including water. The total cost of the proposed project is US $41.5 million, which includes central and municipal government support.

The ADB is also providing technical assistance under the US $863,000 project, Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Strategy and Regulatory Framework, intended to support development of a water and wastewater policy framework.

As part of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)’s support through 2011, the Regional Infrastructure Development Activity rehabilitated the water supply network of the major port city of Poti; related works by partner donors are ongoing. Rehabilitation of the water supply systems also is underway in two other areas.

Between 2000 and 2002, USAID implemented the South Caucasus Water Management Project to strengthen cooperation among water agencies at the local, national, and regional levels, and demonstrate integrated water resources management (FAO 2008a).