David Songulashvili: "Our primary objective is to protect water quality and prevent pollution "

The Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Mr. David Songulashvili, attended the ‘’International Water Futures Forum’’ and participated in a panel discussion as part of the event.



The forum is being hosted in Tbilisi by the Spanish water management company ‘’Aqualia’’ and the Georgian water utility company ‘’Georgian Water and Power’’. The Prime Minister of Georgia, Mr. Irakli Kobakhidze, along with other government representatives, attended the forum.


During the forum, the Minister underscored the main objective: protecting water quality through ongoing reforms and the Law of Georgia on Water Resources Management. Mr. Songulashvili highlighted the transition to river basin management, equitable water allocation, and enhanced resource efficiency as pivotal strategies supporting this goal.
 

“In 2023, Parliament adopted the Law on Water Resources Management, which will enter into force on September 1-st of this year. This represents a fundamentally important change in this field. Strategic decisions have been adopted to support the transition to a river basin management principle. This approach entails the integrated management of both surface and groundwater resources, as well as the balanced allocation of these resources.

 
I would also note that water resources are, in practice, replenished by inflowing waters, and we are actively strengthening the monitoring system to ensure the most accurate assessment possible of the resources available to our country across basin systems. Their proper distribution is of critical importance.

 

 

Another key component of the law is the protection of water quality and the prevention of pollution. In close coordination with the Ministry of Infrastructure, we are working to ensure that wastewater treatment facilities are established in virtually all municipalities. In addition, this year our Ministry will establish a dedicated structural unit responsible for compiling the water balance and allocating water resources accordingly,” stated Mr. David Songulashvili.

 

The Minister also highlighted the issue of plastic pollution and the findings of recent studies.

 

“One of the major challenges is plastic pollution. According to World Bank studies, 88% of pollution in the Rioni River basin is attributed to plastic. In this regard, we are implementing a highly significant reform aimed at restricting the use of plastic, which effectively serves as a preventive measure for improving water quality.

  

I would also emphasize that the law clearly establishes drinking water as the top priority, followed by irrigation and other economic activities. With respect to irrigation, we are implementing a major project in partnership with the World Bank, focused on upgrading irrigation systems to ensure more efficient use of water resources,” Mr. David Songulashvili stated.