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Georgia Georgia National Climate Vulnerability Assessment: Georgia

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Georgia Georgia National Climate Vulnerability Assessment: Georgia National Climate National Climate Vulnerability Assessment: Vulnerability Assessment: GEORGIA GEORGIA NATIONAL CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT: GEORGIA Anna Rukhadze, Ina Vachiberidze& Marina Fandoevа © Climate Forum East (CFE) and Georgia National Network on Climate Change, 2014 Copies of all or part of this study may be made for non-commercial use, providing the source is acknowledged. CFE and the Georgia National Network on Climate Change would appreciate receiving details of this use. Requests for commercial reproduc- tion should be directed to the Network at [email address]. The opinions and recommendations expressed in this study do not necessarily represent the official policy of CFE, the Georgia, National Network on Climate Change or project partners in this project. The designations used do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of CFE and the Georgia National Network on Climate Chnage concerning the legal status of a territory or its authorities. The copyright of each photo and figure used in this study is indicated by the relevant caption. This publication has been produced by the assistance of the European Union. The contents of the publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. www.climateforumeast.org www.facebook.com/climateforumeastcfe Authors: Anna Rukhadze, Ina Vachiberidze& Marina Fandoeva Design: ImreSebastyén, jr/UNITgraphics.com Cover image: © iStockphoto / Stevacek Print: Ray Light GEORGIA PREFACE The overwhelming scientific consensus is that the climate has Civil society and the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement have been changing over the past 150 years, due largely to human a major role to play in alerting decision makers and the public activity. Global temperatures are rising, rainfall patterns are to the risks of climate change and motivating people to take becoming more unpredictable, and the sea level is rising, action based on these risks. Climate Forum East is a project in with these trends expected to continue over the coming the six countries of the Eastern Partnership, aimed at building decades. A warmer climate has also been linked with more the capacity of civil society to engage with decision makers frequent and intense climate-related disasters and extreme on these issues, and mobilising youth and communities to weather. Records indicate that the number of climate-related respond to the challenges faced by their country in a chang- disasters has risen significantly over the past century, and ing climate. Thus one of the key activities of the project is these now affect over 250 million people a year. the assessment by national civil society organisations of the main climate risks and vulnerabilities in each country, and the The humanitarian impacts of climate change and changing development of recommendations to civil society and deci- patterns of extreme weather are likely to be significant. There sion makers on possible approaches to take towards climate is increasing worldwide concern about the negative impacts change adaptation in their country. It is to this end that this a changing climate could have on societies and economies, National Climate Vulnerability Assessment report is presented. affecting sectors from agriculture to water resources. The most severe effects of climate change are likely to be dis- proportionately felt by the poorest and most disadvantaged members of societies, who already have very few resources to fall back on in the case of disaster, and are ill-equipped to cope with the new challenges posed by climate change; While efforts to mitigate the rate of climate change through cutting greenhouse gas emissions are ongoing, the failure to reach a binding international agreement to significantly reduce global emissions means that the planet will continue to experience warming over the coming decades. Mitigation is not enough; societies must take steps to adapt to the pro- jected impacts of climate change, and build their capacity to manage changing risks at every level in the face of an increas- ingly unpredictable climate. iii CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... vi Abbreviations and Units of Measure ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... viii List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ix 1. Georgia ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Situation in Georgia ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2 1.1.1 Main geographical and climatic characteristics ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 Demographic characteristics ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1.3 Economic indicators .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Natural hazards and disasters ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Climate change in Georgia ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3.1 Current climate change ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 1.3.2 Future projections ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 1.3.2 Climate change and natural disasters ............................................................................................................................................................................ 13 1.3.3 Vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters ......................................................................................................................................... 14 2. Climate change impacts on water resources ..................................................................................................................................................................... 18 2.1 Overview of water resources ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 2.2 Impact of climate change on water resources ...................................................................................................................................................................... 19 2.3 Recommendations for the water sector .................................................................................................................................................................................. 19 3. Climate change impacts on health ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 3.1 Health ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 21 3.1.1 Overview of the healthcare sector ..................................................................................................................................................................................
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