Geological Hazards in Samtskhe-Javakheti Region (Georgia)

Abstract

Hundreds of settlements, agricultural lands, roads, oil and gas pipelines’ routes, towers of high voltage transmission lines, hydro-technical-meliorative objects, mountain resorts, etc. are periodically experiencing strong influence of landslide-gravitational and debris flow/mudflow processes (often with catastrophic results). Almost all landscape-geographic zones—from Black Sea coastal region, to mountainous-nival, where geo-ecological situation is severely complicated, are located in dangerous area of disaster. Negative social-economic, demographic and ecological consequences caused by debris flow/mudflows and landslide-gravitational processes, are seen in all spheres of human activity. In mountainous regions there is especially complicated situation, where in conditions of extreme activation of disaster, in many cases population displacement and transfer to other regions is needed. Because of it, in second half of 20th century, tens of villages in mountainous regions were desolated and agricultural lands were abandoned. Most alarming scenario is that such events are accompanied by loss of human lives. Only after 1995 up until now geological and geo-morphological processes in Georgia caused loss of lives of more than 139 persons. Even in conditions of routine activation of disaster, total economical damages reach tens of millions of dollars, and in case of extreme development—hundreds of millions.