Technical Report Number 13 Natural Resources Assessment in the Upper Rioni Pilot Watershed Republic of Georgia
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Technical Report Number 13 Natural Resources Assessment in the Upper Rioni Pilot Watershed Republic of Georgia Integrated Natural Resources Management in the Republic of Georgia Program Technical Report Number 13 Natural Resources Assessment in the Upper Rioni Pilot Watershed Republic of Georgia Funding for this publication was provided by the people of the United States of America through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under Agreement No.CA # AID-114-LA-10-00004, as a component of the Integrated Natural Resources Management for the Republic of Georgia Program. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Agency for International Development of the United States Government or Florida International University. Copyright © Global Water for Sustainability Program – Florida International University This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. No use of the publication may be made for resale or for any commercial purposes whatsoever without the prior permission in writing from the Florida International University - Global Water for Sustainability Program. Any inquiries can be addressed to the same at the following address: Global Water for Sustainability Program Florida International University Biscayne Bay Campus 3000 NE 151 St. ACI-267 North Miami, FL 33181 USA Email: [email protected] Website: www.globalwaters.net For bibliographic purposes, this document should be cited as: GLOWS-FIU. 2011. Technical Report 13: Natural Resources Assessment of the Upper Rioni Watershed, Republic of Georgia. Global Water Sustainability Program, Florida International University. 267 p. ISBN: Table of Contents LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.................................................................................................... 4 SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 15 1.1 Background Information ................................................................................................................... 15 1.2 Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 15 1.3 Methodology and Limitations ........................................................................................................... 16 2. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT .................................................................................................................... 18 2.1 Location and Climate ........................................................................................................................ 18 2.2 Surface water resources ................................................................................................................... 18 2.3 Land Resources ................................................................................................................................. 23 2.3.1. Soil Characteristics .................................................................................................................... 23 2.4 Geography, Geo-morphology, Geology ............................................................................................ 27 2.4.1 Geography .................................................................................................................................. 27 2.4.2 Geomorphology.......................................................................................................................... 27 2.4.3 Geology ...................................................................................................................................... 28 2.4.4 Hydro-geology ............................................................................................................................ 30 2.5 Forest resources ............................................................................................................................... 33 2.6 Biodiversity ....................................................................................................................................... 36 2.6.1 Bio-geographic division .............................................................................................................. 36 2.6.2 Protected Areas .......................................................................................................................... 39 2.7 Renewable energy sources ............................................................................................................... 40 2.8 Mineral Resources ............................................................................................................................ 41 3.0 INSTITUTIONAL SETTING ....................................................................................................................... 44 3.1 Regional Government ....................................................................................................................... 44 3.2 Local Government ............................................................................................................................. 44 3.3 Local NGO Sector .............................................................................................................................. 45 3.4 Donor Community ............................................................................................................................ 45 4. SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS .............................................................................................................. 46 4.1. Socioeconomic Features .................................................................................................................. 46 4.1.1 Demography and Migration Trends ........................................................................................... 46 4.1.2 Vulnerable Groups of Population ............................................................................................... 46 4.1.3 Education .................................................................................................................................... 47 4.1.4 Healthcare ................................................................................................................................. 47 4.1.5 Household Economy................................................................................................................... 48 4.1.6 Employment Opportunities ....................................................................................................... 51 4.1.7 Land Use ..................................................................................................................................... 52 4.1.8 Agriculture ................................................................................................................................. 52 4.1.9 Industry Sector .......................................................................................................................... 54 4.1.10 Use of Natural Resources ........................................................................................................ 54 4.2 Infrastructure .................................................................................................................................... 55 4.2.1 Water Supply and Sanitation Systems ....................................................................................... 55 4.2.2 Roads .......................................................................................................................................... 56 4.2.3 Energy ......................................................................................................................................... 56 4.3Waste Management .......................................................................................................................... 57 4.3.1 Municipal Solid Waste ................................................................................................................ 57 4.3.2 Hazardous Waste ....................................................................................................................... 58 4.3.3 Medical Waste ............................................................................................................................ 59 5.0 UTILIZATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND RELATED PROBLEMS ...................................................... 60 5.1. Water Resources .............................................................................................................................. 60 2 5.1.1. Use of Water Resources ............................................................................................................ 60 5.1.2. Key Problems Related to Water Quantity and Quality ............................................................. 62 5.1.3 Drinking Water and Sanitation Systems ..................................................................................... 63 5.1.4 Climate Impacts .......................................................................................................................... 64 5.2 Land