The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program has initiated the development of a Water Pillar, an investment mechanism aimed at enhancing water infrastructure and capacity development to generate regional benefits. Expanding from the initial scoping study conducted for the five Central Asian countries in 2021, this project now shifts its focus to the South Caucasus region, with a specific emphasis on Georgia. The Asia Development Bank (ADB), commissioner of the project, is extending its assistance to countries by investing in the modernization of water infrastructure, aiming to promote climate resilience and enhance food security.
The objective of the study is to develop a high-level climate change assessment for Georgia with a focus on water resources and the agricultural sector. The work includes an assessment of climate-related impacts on water resources, identification of priorities at a national level, and preparation of a list of climate investment priorities based on climate analytics and appropriate tools and models and prior work done in the region. The output of the study will contribute to the proposed roadmap for the CAREC Water Pillar and will feed into the ongoing formulation of the Country Partnership Strategies for Georgia. The acquired results will inform follow-up work on the CAREC Water Pillar and provide input to future ADB programming and investment in the agriculture, natural resources, and rural development (ANR) sector.
The project consists of two major outputs:
- Output 1: Estimation of future water resources for Georgia up to 2050
A quantitative and qualitative assessment will be undertaken using a combination of primary and secondary data and analytics. The combination of data sources will define the current state of water resources and future water demands, considering population growth and changes in sectoral demand. - Output 2: Identification of opportunities for water resources development
Opportunities for water resources development will be identified based on output 1, stakeholder consultations, the mapping of activities of other development partners, and desk-based literature review.
