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C1 – Renewable freshwater resources in Georgia

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Key messages

Georgia is water-abundant country with around 51 000 million m3 of annual renewable freshwater resources available. This corresponds to 14 000 m3 of water available annually per capita for the use of economic sectors and households.

The dependency ratio between the inflow of surface and groundwater from neighbouring countries and the total renewable freshwater resources available within the country is also comparatively low (17 % based on the data for 1981-1991). However, because of a lack of data, the seasonal aspect of renewable water resources and the dependency on the inflow from neighbouring countries cannot be accurately addressed.

Are the renewable freshwater resources sustainable in Georgia?

Figure 1- Development of renewable freshwater resources in Georgia (1981-1991)

Data sources:

Renewable freshwater resources provided by the Administration Division, National Environmental Agency, Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture , under the ENI SEIS II East Project.

Georgia is water-abundant country with around 51 000 million m3 of annual renewable freshwater resources available. This corresponds to 14 000 m3 of water annually available per capita for the use of economic sectors and households.

Renewable water resources (RWR) in Georgia vary greatly from year to year. It should be noted that the accurate estimation of renewable freshwater resources presents a considerable problem because of the lack of reliable data on the inflow of surface and groundwaters from neighbouring countries. The estimated annual average RWR is around 51 000 hm3. The highest RWR was estimated in 1988 (around 67 000 million m3), whereas in 2015 the RWR was about 50 000 million m3. However, because of the lack of data and the insufficient period covered, a trend analysis could not be performed. Nevertheless, the current data do not show any increasing or decreasing tendency in renewable freshwater resources, despite a high level of variability from one year to another.

Availability of surface water resources is crucially important to the national economy in Georgia, as surface water meets almost 70 % of the total water demand in the country; groundwater is mainly used for drinking purposes.

Georgia has around 26 000 river water bodies, with a total length of 60 000 km. Almost all rivers are less than 25 km long. Because of diverse topography of the country and the impacts of various hydrological regimes (rain, glaciers, etc.), renewable water resources are not evenly distributed across the country. Mountainous areas and the Black Sea side are wet parts of Georgia, while coastal areas in the Black Sea and the lowlands in the eastern part of the country receive less precipitation. The main rivers in the country are the Mtkvari river (Kura river), which discharges to the Caspian Sea, and the Rioni river, which discharges to the Black Sea, while the Corokhi river also substantially contributes to the country’s water balance. About 8 000 Georgian streams discharge to the Caspian Sea via the rivers Tergi and Andzia (through Russia) or via the Mtkvari river through Azerbaijan. The Black Sea basin generates 75 % of the total inland surface water (42 500 hm3/year), while the remaining 25 % of the total inland surface water is generated in the Caspian Sea basin (14 400 hm3/year).

Between 1981 and 1991, on multi-annual average, 35 000 million m3 of water flowed out of Georgian territory into the sea (corresponding to 75 % of the total outflow) and 10 000 million m3 (25 %) flowed into neighbouring countries. However, this figure is already outdated and the curent state is unknown because of the lack of sufficent data.

 

Indicator specification

Indicator definition

This indicator covers the main components needed to assess the renewable freshwater resources and their availability in a country. Renewable freshwater (surface and groundwater) resources are replenished by precipitation (less evapotranspiration), which ends up as run-off to rivers and recharge to aquifers (internal flow), and by surface waters and groundwater flowing in from neighbouring countries (external inflow or inflow from upstream areas). The indicator also includes the outflow of surface water and groundwater to neighbouring countries and to the sea.

 

Units

Million cubic metres (million m3) per year.

Rationale

Justification for indicator selection

Renewable freshwater resources are of major environmental and economic importance. Their distribution varies widely among and within countries. Pressures on freshwater resources are exerted by overexploitation and by degradation of environmental quality. Relating renewable freshwater resources to freshwater abstraction is a central issue in ensuring sustainable freshwater.

The indicator provides a measure of the state of renewable freshwater resources in a country and of its change over time.

Scientific references

  • UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Description of C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

  • UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Glossary of terms – C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

  • UNSD, 2012. International Recommendations for Water Statistics, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division, Statistical papers, Series M No. 91, ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/91, ISBN: 978-92-1-161545-6, New York.

 

Policy context and targets

Context description

National policy context

The national law on water, in effect since 1997, sets general principles on rational water use and declares that as one of its main objectives. Specifically, the law obliges all Georgian citizens to ensure the rational and sustainable use and protection of water and obliges water users to ensure the rational use of water and maintenance and restoration of its quality (Article 41). The law on water assigns satisfying population demand for safe drinking water as the highest water use priority (Article 4).

The new draft law of Georgia on water resources management, based on the principles of the EU Water Framework Directive and related EU water legislation, obliges a water user to ensure the rational use of water and to take measures for maintaining and restoring its quality. The draft law reintroduces permits for water abstraction and for discharges into water. Accordingly, a permit holder will be subject to pay fees for abstraction of water from surface water as well as groundwater bodies. Legally binding standards for water use efficiency will be introduced.

 

International policy context

The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) aims to ensure the sustainable use of transboundary water resources by facilitating cooperation. The indicator is used to compare the outflow of surface and ground water to neighbouring countries, outflow of surface and groundwater to the sea and inflow of surface and groundwater from neighbouring countries.

 

Targets

National targets

No specific national target has been specified

International targets

The issue of the degree of implementation of integrated water resources management is reflected in SDG 6 of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda for the period up to 2030, which is to ‘ensure access to water and sanitation for all’ and is controlled by indicator 6.5.1, ‘degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100)’.

 

Related policy documents

development agenda.

 

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Note: Internal flow = precipitation - actual evapotranspiration.

Renewable freshwater resources = internal flow + inflow of surface and groundwater from neighbouring countries.

Methodology for gap filling

No gap filling has been performed.

Methodology references

  • EEA, 2005. EEA core set of indicators guide. EEA Technical report No 1/2005, ISBN 92-9167-757-4, Luxembourg.

  • UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Data template – C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

  • UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Description of C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

  • UNECE, 2018. Guidelines for the Application of Environmental Indicators, Glossary of terms – C1. Renewable freshwater resources.

  • UNSD and UNEP, 2013. Questionnaire 2013 on Environment Statistics. United Nations Statistics Division and United Nations Environment Programme, Questionnaire 2013 on Environment Statistics, Section Water.

 

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified.

Data sets uncertainty

There is a large break in the time series for the data on the inflow of surface and groundwater from neighbouring countries and the outflow of surface and groundwater to neighbouring countries or to the sea. The data for these parameters cover only the years 1981-1991. However, data on renewable freshwater resources are presented in the C2 indicator. The data submitted for both indicators of renewable water resources are not consistent in time and volume. The data on renewable water resources in the C1 indicator cover only the years 1981-1991, while these data for the C2 indicator cover the years 2008-2015. Hence, both sets of data had to be merged to obtain one single time series. However, there is no clarification around the estimation of the RWR and its underlying data in the C2 indicator. Therefore, the assessment of the renewable freshwater resources presented in this indicator should be treated with great caution, as it presents uncertainties.

Rationale uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified.

 

Data sources

Renewable freshwater resources provided by the Administration Division, National Environmental Agency, Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture , under the ENI SEIS II East Project.