1.1.1.WATER RESOURCES Georgia can be divided into two main river basin groups: -The Black Sea basin, in the west of the country. The internal renewable surface water resources (IRSWR) generated in this basin are estimated at 42.5km3/year. The main rivers are, from north to south, the Inguri, the Rioni and the Chorokhi. The main stream of the Chorokhi rises in Turkey (the Corub River) and the estimated inflow from Turkey is 6.3km3/year. -The Caspian Sea basin, in the east of the country. The IRSWR generated in this basin are estimated at 14.4km3/year. The main rivers are, from north to south: the Terek and the Andiyskoye, which rise in the north of the country and flow northeast to the Russian Federation before entering the Caspian Sea; the Alazani, the Lori and the Kura, which rise in Georgia and flow into Azerbaijan in Lake Adzhinour, before flowing southeast in Azerbaijan and then entering the Caspian Sea. Two tributaries of the Kura River rise in Turkey: the Mtkvari, with an estimated inflow from Turkey of 0.91km3/year, and the Potskhovi, with an estimated inflow from Turkey of 0.25km3/year. The inflow of the Debet River, a southern tributary of the Kura River, is estimated at 0.89km3/year from Armenia. The renewable groundwater resources are estimated at 17.23km3/year, of which 16km3/year are drained by the surface water network (overlap). This gives a total of 58.13km3/year for internal renewable water resources (IRWR). The total actual renewable water resources (ARWR) are 63.33km3/year. In 1990, the total water abstraction was estimated at 3km3/year from some 1,700 tube-wells. According to a recent assessment a further 7km3/year could be abstracted in the future. Groundwater use was not greatly developed during the Soviet period, due to the emphasis on large-scale state-run surface irrigation schemes. Georgia has 25,075 rivers exist with a total length of 54,768 km; 99.4 per cent of them are small rivers with a total length of less than 25km. Hydrological studies have been made of 555 rivers of the Black Sea Basin and 528 rivers of the Caspian Sea Basin. More than 17,000 rivers (total length 32,574 km) belong to the Black Sea Basin. There are about 43 dams in Georgia, 35 of which are in the east and 8 in the west; their total reservoir capacity is estimated at about 3.4km3. The water is primarily used for irrigation and hydropower generation and less for water supply. The largest dam, for hydropower, is the Inguri dam, with a reservoir capacity of 1.092km3. In 1995, hydropower supplied 89 per cent of electricity. Some 31 dams have been built for irrigation purposes; they have a total reservoir capacity of 1km³, of which 782 million m³ are active. The three largest irrigation reservoirs are: the Sioni reservoir (325 million m3) on the Lori River, the Tbilisi reservoir (308 million m3) on the Kura River and the Dalimta reservoir (180 million m3) on the Lori River. In 2005, the total treated wastewater was estimated at 9 million m3. There is no tradition of treated wastewater reuse in Georgia. Some wetlands have a primary environmental importance such as: -Central Kolkheti (337.1km2), on both sides of the Rioni river mouth along the central part of the eastern Black Sea coast, in the regions Guria and Samegrelo near the city of Poti. The site contains many relicts and endemic species of flora and fauna. The area is a coastal alluvial plain, composed of quaternary deposits. The average water flow rate (over a long period) of the Rioni River (the largest river in the site) is 399m3/second. Kolkheti State Reserve (500km2) was established in 1947. -Ispani (5.13km2) in the autonomous Republic of Adjara, one kilometre from the Black Sea coast, near the city of Kobuleti. The area supports rare mammal species and migratory waterbirds of international importance. The area is a coastal alluvial plain, composed of quaternary, lake-riverine and additional lake deposits, which have developed to a depth of 9 –14 m.

1.1.2.WATER USE Between 1985 and 1990, the total water withdrawal decreased from 4,600 to 3,500 million m3 because of the industrial decline since the end of the Soviet Union. During 2005 the total water withdrawal was 1,621 million m3, 66 per cent of which came from surface water and 34 per cent from groundwater. Agricultural water withdrawal accounted for 1,055 million m3 and water withdrawal for municipal purposes for 358 million m3. Industrial water withdrawal was estimated at 208 million m3. Potable water supplies are mainly abstracted from groundwater and at such relatively low volumes that they do not substantially affect the river flows. Tbilisi city is the only large user of surface water for municipal supplies but two thirds of the city supplies are also abstracted from groundwater. Thus, contamination of potable water mainly occurs during transmission in pipes from source to customer and is not a water resource management issue. Hydro-electric power generation is an important user of river water and the hydro-power reservoirs modify the flow patterns of rivers throughout the year. Most hydropower generation is needed during winter while the biggest irrigation releases from multi-purpose (hydropower and irrigation) reservoirs are needed during July and August. The largest consumer of water by far is irrigated agriculture, though consumption has fallen to less than half of previous levels because of the economic downturn, the deterioration of infrastructure and the fact that electricity charges for pumping are now commercially priced. Industrial water usage is low, currently only about 10 per cent of the usage in 1980, because the change to open markets for produced goods has resulted in the collapse of many industries. Country Overview - Georgia Process water in the mining industry, which has also declined, is mainly recirculated and the industry does not therefore abstract or discharge large quantities. [EUWI-EECCA, 2005]

1.2.WATER QUALITY, ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN HEALTH Regardless of the fact that Georgia is a country with abundant fresh water resources, the current situation of the water supply is extremely complicated. This is largely due to anthropogenic contamination, deficit of drinking water and low sanitary standards of the water supply system. About 60 per cent of existing water pipelines are depreciated. Their sanitary and technical conditions are unsatisfactory, resulting in frequent accidents and this, in turn, leads to water contamination. Due to water network damages, large quantities of water are lost. According to data for 1999, such losses amounted to 40 per cent of the overall quantity of water supplied to households. Due to the degradation of the water supply and sewerage infrastructure, the quality of drinking water often does not comply with human health and safety standards. Some 38 per cent of the water pipeline system of the cities and regions belongs in the high-risk water pipeline category, in which the microbiological contamination index is high. The poor quality of water has resulted in several outbreaks of infectious intestinal diseases and epidemics [Government of Georgia, 2002]. In eastern Georgia there is a salinization problem relating to irrigation. Currently, 592.2km2 are severely salinized and 543.4km2 are moderately salinized. The poor quality of management and infrastructure of the irrigation systems has added to these problems during the past decade [UNECE, 2003]. The main sources of risk from pollution are municipal sewage effluent and some hot-spots of industrial and mining pollution. Municipal wastewater is mostly not treated at all but is discharged directly to the rivers or to the Black Sea. Only the Tbilisi wastewater treatment plant provides mechanical treatment of effluent. Although mine process water is recirculated, it can spill accidentally, especially during heavy rain, carrying metal pollution to the rivers. As most industry of the USSR era has declined, the main pollution risk will come from newly emerging or revived industries if they are established without proper planning controls. River pollution from municipal waste landfills that are poorly designed is also important in that it reduces the recreational amenity value of the river [EUWI-EECCA, 2005].