UNDP designed and is implementing a program aimed at reducing exposure of Georgia’s communities, livelihoods and infrastructure to climate-induced natural hazards through the implementation of a well-functioning nation-wide multi-hazard early warning system and risk-informed local action. The program encompasses three interrelated projects funded by SDC, under which the current position is being announced, Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Swedish Government (SIDA). The GCF funded interventions are targeting expansion of the hydro-meteorological network & modelling capacities and improving community resilience through implementation of EWS & risk reduction measures. SIDA project will contribute to the public awareness raising and structural measure components.
The project funded by SDC is aimed at reducing exposure and vulnerability of communities in Georgia, through development of multi-hazard risk information and relevant capacities; Geographical coverage of the project interventions is nation-wide, covering the 11 major river basins in Georgia: Enguri, Rioni, Chorokhi-Adjaristskali, Supsa, Natanebi, Khobi, Kintrishi, Khrami-Ktsia, Alazani, Iori, Mtkvari (same as Kura) focusing on the following hazards: floods, landslides, mudflows, avalanches, hailstorms, windstorms and droughts.
The project aims to develop standardized and harmonized national multi-hazard mapping and risk assessment methodologies and multi-hazard maps and risk profiles for 11 river basins in Georgia. The multi-hazard maps will be developed by the National Environmental Agency under the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia.
The legal entity of public law – National Environmental Agency (NEA) under the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia is the institution which is responsible for monitoring of environmental quality conditions (atmospheric air, surface and groundwaters, sea, soil) and meteorological, hydrological, and geological processes taking place on the territory of Georgia. NEA’s departments of Hydrometeorology and Geology are responsible for the monitoring, assessment and mapping of hydrometeorological and geological hazards in the country.
The National Environmental Agency possesses main information and historical data on hydro-meteorological and geological hazards and have respective databases. The staff is experienced in monitoring, assessment and mapping of natural hazards, obtaining, collecting and processing of respective data and information.
However, there is no definitive hazard, risk or vulnerability mapping for Georgia for any of the hydro-meteorological and geological hazards that it faces and the technical and financial capacity to undertake such mapping is lacking.
Mandates for risk assessment based on multi-hazard mapping and vulnerability are not clearly defined in the country. Emergency Management Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs is the main body responsible for emergency risk management including the emergency risk assessment, which only focuses on identification of potential emergency cases and is not based on the hazard and vulnerability assessment. Though vulnerability assessments are conducted in the country, they are limited to specific donor-funded project scopes and conducted usually by NGOs, without unified approach applied.
While the SDC project will develop the unified methodologies for the modelling and mapping of the seven hazards, the project funded by GCF will develop the methodology for multi-hazard risk and vulnerability assessment. In addition, many of the applications of hazard modelling within the wider program such as development of flood forecasting and early warning systems, identification, prioritisation and design of risk mitigation measures, development of river basin multi-hazard risk management plans, municipal emergency response plans, sector resilience plans and community DRM and CBEWS are highly dependent on the development of the methodologies and mapping approaches for hazard assessment to be developed by the SDC funded project. Preparation of vulnerability assessments of 11 river basins is one of the components of the project as well.
Thus, the program is expected to provide both NEA and EMS with required international expertise to support the development of a unified multi-hazard mapping and risk assessment methodologies as well as provide technical support and guidance in developing the multi-hazard maps and risk profiles.