Economy Minister highlights Gov’t efforts to strengthen hydrometeorological monitoring systems
Levan Davitashvili summarised the Government's efforts to strengthen hydrometeorological monitoring systems throughout the country at a press briefing held today. Photo: Ministry of Economy
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Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Monday summarised the Government's efforts to strengthen hydrometeorological monitoring systems throughout the country at a press briefing held following Monday’s Government meeting.
The Minister was answering a question on measures taken over the matter following the landslide that killed at least 18 in the country’s west last week, with the official asked about efforts made since his 2018 announcement as the then Environment Minister that an “effective early warning system” would be in place throughout Georgia in “two to three years”.
We have done a lot in the country to strengthen hydrometeorological monitoring systems and make monitoring possible. But unfortunately, no matter what we do, we can be powerless in the face of this type of natural disaster [referring to the landslide]. We are facing a tragedy. Speculating on such topics is immoral and irresponsible”, Davitashvili told the media.
Davitashvili claimed no hydrometeorological systems had been in place across the country in 2014 and added circumstances were “quite weak in terms of environmental protection”.
The whole system was broken, and no employee was responsible for it. Since 2018, the country has carried out significant work related to the study of geological hazards. A monitoring report is published every year, which is an important guide for state agencies and also in terms of planning future projects”, he said.
He also said 200 modern hydrometeorological stations had been installed since 2018 and allowed monitoring the rise of water levels, adding systems were also installed at 20 areas with landslide risks, which had not included Shovi as “[natural] processes of this type had never been recorded” in the resort.
The Minister told the press the Ministry of Environmental Protection had purchased two modern radars, with three currently operating across the country, adding natural hazard studies had also been conducted in 11 river basins, with maps produced based on their results.
He told reporters “[i]n many cases, unfortunately, we are powerless, and it is impossible to prevent and avoid things”, before claiming the “great tragedy and calamity that happened in our country [last week] has become the subject of political speculation”.
The landslide in the western Georgian municipality of Oni that killed at least 18 people in the Shovi resort on August 3 was caused by intense melting of glaciers, collapse of rock formations in their headwaters, heavy rains, erosive processes and a glacier runoff, a preliminary report by the National Environmental Agency said on Monday.
Search and rescue works are continuing in the western Georgian municipality of Oni following the landslide killed at least 18 in the Shovi resort five days ago, with the latest casualty discovered on Sunday.
Nino Tandilashvili, the Georgian Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, on Sunday said the data analysis obtained from the water level measuring station located on the Chanchakhi River showed no signs of water accumulation before a landslide in western Georgia’s Shovi resort on Thursday, which killed at least 18 people.
In about three years early warning systems will be installed throughout Georgia, enabling the population to receive relevant and timely information in a systematic way prior to disasters in order to make informed decisions and take action.
Georgian Environment Minister Otar Shamugia on Monday said the hydrological station installed on the Chanchakhi river in the west of the country had “not recorded any changes” in the water in the 24 hours before the landslide hit the adjacent Shovi resort and killed at least 18 last week.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday said the Government was “doing its best” to carry out works to address the aftermath of a landslide that killed 19 in the country’s west last week “in a timely manner”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday rejected claims of delays in arrival of rescue helicopters at the scene of last week’s landslide in the western resort of Shovi that killed 19 people.
Vasil Gedevanishvili, the Head of Georgia’s National Environmental Agency, on Tuesday said data obtained from 20 measuring stations operating in the Racha-Lechkhumi region in the country’s west “did not provide a basis” for predicting the landslide that hit the Shovi resort and left 19 people dead on August 3.
Georgian Agriculture Minister Otar Shamugia on Monday said up to 150 new meteorological and hydrological monitoring stations would be set up across Georgia over the next year.
An agreement between Georgia and Austria in the field of Mutual Assistance in Time of Natural and Manmade Disasters and their Prevention was signed on Wednesday by Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze and Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
Nino Tandilashvili, Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection, on Thursday announced nine new monitoring stations would be installed across the country to improve air quality monitoring.
Otar Shamugia, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia on Wednesday met Kirsti Narinen, Finland’s Ambassador to the South Caucasus, to discuss prospects of cooperation for reducing risks and disasters posed by climate change.