Developing Climate Resilient Flood and Flash Flood Management Practices to Protect Vulnerable Communities of Georgia

Flooding in the Rioni River Basin has exacted ever-greater tolls on the economy and lives of residents, 40 percent of whom are impoverished. Between 1842 and 2008, 111 incidents of flooding were recorded in the basin with losses ranging from 200,000 to 60 Million USD. The number of flooding events per year has increased in the last decade, with seven events occurring in 2005, six of which were categorized as “strong.” With flood frequency and the occurrence of landslides, flash-floods and mudflows projected to increase, the project objective is to help the governments and the population of the Rioni River Basin to develop adaptive capacity and embark on climate-resilient economic development.

The project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aims to assist government officials by introducing a floodplain development policy. The policy development process includes producing hazard and inundation maps, reviewing and changing land use regulations, internalizing climate change risks into floodplain management and spatial planning, and reviewing and streamlining building codes to flood-proof new buildings. It would also arrange targeted training for those national and local authorities who are responsible for climate risk management in advanced methods of forward-looking climate risk management planning and flood prevention measures, and design and implement a community-based flood insurance scheme that would cover highly exposed villages under municipalities. The project would also design flood management practices such as bank terracing, vegetative buffers, and tree revetments, and seasonal land use appropriate for flood plains (e.g. short-season annual cropping, or seasonal cattle pastures). The project will also include the establishment of a flood early-warning system.