Experts prepare landslide warning system in northern Georgia

Top geology experts from Switzerland are in Georgia and providing vital guidance on environmental safety in an area that’s prone to landslides and other natural disasters.

Specialists from Geotest and Geopraevent technology companies met officials from Georgia’s National Environment Agency today and presented their findings for suitable locations for an early warning system in the disaster-prone Devdoraki Glacier area of northern Georgia.

The early warning system will monitor the environment and provide a warning when a disaster was about to strike. 

At today’s meeting the experts offered recommendations where early warning systems should be located after spending several days surveying the Devdorak-Amali Ravine. 

Once set up, the early warning system was expected to inform vehicles in the Dariali Ravine as well as workers at the Larsi Border Checkpoint and nearby Hydro Electric Power Plant about impending natural disasters in the area.

The visiting experts collected photographs of the area while onboard Georgia’s Border Police helicopter. Photo from Georgia’s National Environment Agency/Facebook.

The area was affected by two major landslides last year that claimed the lives of seven people and caused major damage to the North-South gas pipeline that transported natural gas from Russia to Armenia thorough Georgia.

Expert teams from Switzerland first visited the location in April this year after being invited by the National Environment Agency to monitor ongoing natural processes on the 7.2km-long glacier that ends at an elevation of 2,257m.