Georgia country climate and development report

The Georgia Country Climate and Development Report highlights the country’s mounting exposure to a complex mix of natural and climate-related hazards—including floods, landslides, droughts, wildfires, and earthquakes—that pose growing risks to lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. Georgia faces mounting climate and disaster risks that threaten agricultural productivity, energy security, infrastructure, and trade connectivity. The country’s exposure to multiple natural hazards—floods, landslides, droughts, wildfires, and earthquakes—has already caused over US$1.2 billion in damages in recent decades and continues to endanger lives and critical infrastructure. Nine percent of the population is directly exposed to a 100-year flood and 19 percent to drought, with the eastern regions particularly affected by water scarcity and soil degradation. Nearly half of Georgia’s dams, over one-third of telecom assets, and about one-third of power infrastructure are exposed to flooding, landslides, or seismic risks. Climate projections indicate hotter, drier summers and wetter winters, which will further intensify these hazards and exacerbate degradation pressures on land, agriculture, and infrastructure systems.

The report emphasizes that adaptation and resilience investments are critical for safeguarding development gains and managing growing disaster risks. It calls for scaling up modern irrigation and drainage systems, climate-smart agriculture, and resilient infrastructure to reduce climate losses and boost productivity. Strengthening road and rail resilience, enhancing early warning systems, and integrating climate and hazard risk information into investment planning are identified as priorities. The report also highlights the need for stronger institutional capacity, updated building codes, and the inclusion of disaster risk considerations in infrastructure asset management. With climate change expected to increase the frequency and severity of extreme events, Georgia’s long-term growth and stability depend on accelerating these adaptation measures and embedding disaster risk management across sectors and levels of governance.