Georgia

Georgia is characterised by the frequency and high risk of disasters that pose a significant threat to different sectors of the economy and to human development. Natural hazards such as floods, landslides, earthquakes and snow avalanches occur regularly. They occur primarily along the major rivers and in the mountainous parts of the country that covers nearly 80% of the terrain, and can severely affect local communities. Soil and vegetation are highly sensitive to degradation due to drought and overuse. Georgia is situated in one of the most seismically active regions in the Alpine-Himalayan collision belt and has been subjected to strong earthquakes, with high magnitudes. The impacts of climate change in Georgia are observed through the increased occurrence of extreme natural hazards especially in high mountains, the coast and the semi-deserts of the East.