Arend Kolhoff
Technical sectretary
The NCEA advised on Terms of Reference (ToR) for a combined EIA and feasibility study for rehabilitation of the Chorokhi river and Batumi coast in Adjara. It also advised on a flood emergency plan and emergency measures.
Significant details
Batumi is the administrative centre of the autonomous republic of Adjara and one of the most important tourist sites along the Georgian Black Sea coast. However, the coastline southwest of Batumi is affected by serious erosion. Without adequate protection measures coastal erosion will continue and might even affect the beaches and the coastline of Batumi.
A combined EIA and feasibility study will be conducted with the following aims:
- To come up with a feasible solution for the long term pro-tection of the coastline of Batumi;
- To establish an emergency preparedness plan for the people living in or near the riverbed of the Chorokhi River for whom flooding risks will change.
The Minister of Environment of Georgia asked the NCEA to advise on Terms of Reference (ToR) for this study. The NCEA established a working group of experts, with expertise in coastal engineering, river hydraulics and morphology, land use planning, and ecology. After a site visit and review of relevant documents, the working group issued advisory ToR based on international guidelines for good practice EIA.
The advisory ToR contains the following elements:
- Problem description (focusing on coastal erosion and change of river flood regime);
- Legislation, policies, plans and public participation;
- Objectives and development of alternatives;
- Models for impact assessment of alternatives;
- Comparative assessment of the alternatives;
- Setting up of Chorokhi flood emergency plan;
- Emergency measures.