TITLE:
Geological Hazards in Samtskhe-Javakheti Region (Georgia)
AUTHORS:
Gaprindashvili George, Gerkeuli Tamaz, Tsereteli Emil, Gaprindashvili Merab
KEYWORDS:
Geomorphology, Geology, Landslide, Debris Flow, Georgia
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.7 No.3,
March
22,
2016
ABSTRACT: Hundreds of settlements,
agricultural lands, roads, oil and gas pipelines’ routes, towers of high
voltage transmission lines, hydro-technical-meliorative objects, mountain
resorts, etc. are periodically experiencing strong influence of
landslide-gravitational and debris flow/mudflow processes (often with
catastrophic results). Almost all landscape-geographic zones—from Black Sea
coastal region, to mountainous-nival, where geo-ecological situation is
severely complicated, are locatedin
dangerous area of disaster. Negative social-economic, demographic and
ecological consequencescaused by
debris flow/mudflows and landslide-gravitational processes, are seen in all
spheres of human activity. In mountainous regions there is especially
complicated situation, where in conditions of extreme activation of disaster,
in many cases population displacement and transfer to other regions is needed.
Because of it, in second half of 20th century, tens of villages in mountainous
regions were desolated and agricultural lands were abandoned. Most alarming
scenario is that such events are accompanied by loss of human lives. Only after
1995 up until now geological and geo-morphological processes in Georgia caused
loss of lives of more than 139 persons. Even in conditions of routine
activation of disaster, total economical damages reach tens of millions of
dollars, and in case of extreme development—hundreds of millions.