Georgians face lack of clean domestic water due to decaying infrastructure

Georgia has more than 25,000 waterways
Georgia has more than 25,000 waterways Copyright Euronews
By Ben TurnerDavit Kekenadze
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below:Copy to clipboardCopied

Georgians are facing a lack of clean domestic water due to decaying infrastructure

ADVERTISEMENT

With over 25,000 rivers, Georgians often say they're proud of their country's waterways.

But just two-thirds of the population have access to clean drinking water, according to WHO and UNICEF.

Critics say the problem lies in decaying infrastructure, meaning some people in Georgia don't have any access to a domestic water supply.

"Some towns and cities do not have water supply systems and there is no company to manage it, therefore, regions are trying to find resources on their own," said Salome Vardiashvili, Georgia's energy ombudsman. 

She added: "This is the matter of investment, it requires a lot of money. This cost on the other hand, will impact prices and it can be a burden for the population.

"Access to water is hindered by other causes as well, such as climate change."

Georgia is facing "complex" issues in addressing its water problems, according to Vakhtang Kochoradze, project manager at the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network.

He added: "However, we can say for sure that the problem comes from infrastructure - the water network and reservoirs are not in working order."

The UN's Sustainable development goals include a target of accessible clean drinking water for all by 2030.

Yet with eight years left to accomplish this goal, more than 2 billion people - or 1 in 4 of the world's population - do not have access to clean drinking water.

Share this articleComments

You might also like

Monkeypox: WHO declares global health emergency over 'extraordinary' outbreak

Russian culture in Georgia: Residents angry about presence of music in capital

Verona and Pisa ration drinking water amid historic drought