Project number: №216916
Project title: Creation of the Kvemo Kartli Water Resources Management System Basis
Funding organization: Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia
Start and end dates: 29.11.2016-29.11.2018
Principal investigator: Vakhtang Geladze
Key personnel: Vakhtang Geladze, Nana Bolashvili, Tamaz Karalashvili, Nino Machavariani
Project Summary: There are no institutions in Georgia for sustainable management of water resources today. The integrated management of water resources can be initiated with slow steps before creation of corresponding legislation and institutions.
As to water resources in the East Georgia the situation is more tense in its South-East part where in low water periods the stream flow in some river basins is below ecological norm. The fresh water problem there will become even more acute against a background of the current climatic changes and expected desertification of territories that most probably will cause migration of local population from the region.
The purpose of study is to create GIS of Kvemo Kartli water resources which will be used in future as a basis for introduction of contemporary water resources management technique.
The project realization will make possible to receive the real picture of quantitative characteristics of water resources available in Kvemo Kartli; to create GIS data bases and thematic maps of water resources that will make it possible to control and plan regional economy by the governmental bodies.
Achieved results: As a result of the research, it was revealed that there is a normal water management situation in the municipalities of Tsalka and Bolnisi. The ratios of water resources and water consumption are also high (1.3-12). It is also worth noting the high values of the potential water consumption coefficients (12), which indicate the presence of significant water resource reserves in the municipalities. In the municipalities of Tsalka and Bolnisi, the water supply of the territory and the population is also high. For comparison, the water supply of the territory of Georgia is on average - 750 thousand m3 per km2. In general, except for certain specific areas, there are no vulnerable areas in terms of water resources in the region. To provide water to the population (taking into account 500 liters of water per day and inhabitant) Tsalka and Bolnisi municipalities need only 1.5 and 1% of their total runoff, respectively. Tsalka and Bolnisi municipalities have the ability to provide water to 20 and 22 times more population, respectively. The water supply of the territory and the population is high in the municipalities of Dmanisi and Tetritskaro . Dmanisi and Tetritskaro municipalities have the ability to provide water to 30 and 14 times more population, respectively. As for the municipality of Marneuli, all the coefficients of the favorableness of the structure of the social security system are significantly lower compared to the corresponding indicators of other municipalities of Kvemo Kartli (except Gardabani). The water management situation is particularly tense in the part of the municipality that includes the river. The Algeti basin, where the minimum volume of local runoff for the region is noted - 16.7 million m3, and the share of water transferred and returned from the territory of the Tetritskaro municipality is important in the available water resources. In the mentioned basin, the value of all the coefficients of the structure of the water supply system is minimal for the region, and only here the coefficient of the water supply system is less than one, which means that the environmental runoff also participates in the water consumption. In the municipalities of Marneuli and Tetritskaro, it is possible to provide only 20-30% of the existing population with local water resources. Meanwhile, the municipalities of Tsalka and Bolnisi have the ability to satisfy 20 and 22 times more population with water, respectively. In Gardabani municipality, it is possible to provide for approximately 10% of the population of the municipality.