Rain is generally a blessing, especially during the summer and during prolonged periods of drought, which are not uncommon in Georgia. Rain is needed for irrigation, filling lakes and streams, but excessive rainfall can sometimes do more harm than good.
Eight years ago, in 2015, a flood caused when the river Vere overflowed killed more than 20 people in Tbilisi and injured more than 1,000. About 200 families were left homeless, and more than 281 animals were killed when the flood reached the zoo. The damage to infrastructure was enormous.
This June, most of Georgia has had rain almost every single day or night. While nothing of the scale described above, heavy rains, accompanied by strong winds, damaged a number of mobile properties in Tbilisi. In the regions, particularly Kakheti, the damage is far more serious. In Kvareli municipality, numerous homes were flooded and mobile property damaged when the river Patmasuri burst its banks. Another disaster occurred in Gurjaani, where the flood damaged a local agrarian market, affecting the livelihood of local farmers.
Heavy rains also hinder communication. Because of the heavy rains, the Rikoti pass that connects the West to the rest of Georgia was closed off, causing an range of issues from delayed supplies, to disrupting entire chains. Furthermore, heavy rain can damage crops, delay harvests, exacerbate soil erosion, damage machinery, etc.
Scientists believe that global warming induced by human activity is causing this increase in rainfall. As the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) synthesis report claims, “evidence of observed changes in extremes, such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, and in particular their attribution to human influence has further strengthened since 2014”. The simple principle is that hotter air can retain more water vapor, which in turn means more water for rainfall or snow. According to the IPCCs synthesis report, “global surface temperature has increased faster since 1970 than any other 50-year period over at least the last 2,000 years”.
It is clear that cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions is crucial. Switching to technologies in manufacturing that use less energy will in turn decrease the overall level of CO2 emissions – as was the case of AMB alloys, whichpurchased an energy-efficient furnace. JSC Graali-92, is another great example of a business switching to renewable sources of energy, thereby not only contributing less to global warming, but decreasing their monthly utility costs. The construction industry, one of the largest contributors to global emissions, can also greatly improve its impact by incorporating energy efficient technologies and materials in its projects.
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