Rapid forest degradation developed because of increased social and energy pressure has resulted in activation of disasters, burdening both the local residents and the country’s economy. The government has to pay millions of GEL annually for disaster prevention. However, since the efficiency of the conducted measures is quite low, the scale of the damage inflicted by disasters increases from year to year.
According to experts, lack of consideration of risk factors in planning of natural resources, primarily of forests is the main drawback of disaster management system.
Specifically, National Forestry Agency (NFA) fails to assess disaster risks when arranging forest roads or allocating cutting areas, which causes development of landslide and mudflow, processes in the managed forests. Besides, NFA does not participate in the measures aimed at disaster prevention. Disaster mitigation measures are only implemented in urban areas and rather than eradicating the causes of disasters, all resources are used on fighting their outcomes.
Having considered all the above, CENN started to work on hot spot map that will be based on the simulation scheme developed together with Twente University (Netherlands) in cooperation with World Resources Institute (WRI) under Global Forest Watch and Sustainable Forest Governance in Georgia (ADC).
Within the initiative, 12 field trips to various regions of Georgia with ecology, geology, geomorphology and hydrology specialists are scheduled this year. An expert analysis and a digital map is prepared for each trip and sent to responsible agencies as needed.
Simulation scheme envisions assessment of interrelation of natural cover degradation and natural processes in terms of factors triggering natural disasters. By means of field and laboratory studies, high-risk locations will be identified and NFA will be given a strong recommendation to conduct preliminary risk assessment in case of development of such sectors.
Up to date, several field studies have been conducted and reports have been prepared and sent to relevant agencies. As a result, cuttings were suspended at a number of locations and designated cutting areas were abolished.
Study and simulation process is actively covered in the media. Field study reports will be uploaded on CENN portal and the final map – on the Global Forest Watch website.