November 11, 2024
News
Climate change, sometimes resulting in natural disasters, is a global problem. Disasters caused by climate change have a negative impact on the socio-economic life of any country and its population. Georgia is not an exception. Due to the specific and complex physical-geographic conditions, different climates can be found in Georgia. Climate change in such a small country like ours can be especialy painful.
Why we should be concerned about climate change
From the pre-industrial period to the present, the Earth's atmospheric temperature has increased by 1.2°C. According to current projections, the average annual temperature is expected to grow from 2°C to 5-6°C by the end of the century. This is a threat to the existence of ecosystems and is one of the reasons for the activation of disasters.
In the last decade, the number of disasters caused by climate change has increased significantly. Worldwide, more than 55 million people are affected yearly, including by lack of safe drinking water, due to water supply systems damaged by floods and landslides. Due to climate change, the snow on the glaciers is melting massively in mountainous regions. Added to this is the danger of landslides, which increase yearly due to massive deforestation.
Strengthening local municipalities' capacity in all four phases of disaster management (prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery) is important for effective disaster risk management. An effective tool is the emergency situation management plan, on which Oni Municipality City Hall is working together with Caritas Czech Republic.
From 2024, Caritas of the Czech Republic, with the suport of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, within the framework of the humanitarian aid of the Czech Republic, is implementing the project "Improving the resilience of vulnerable communities of Oni municipality towards climate-driven disasters". The project aims to improve vulnerable communities' resilience through national disaster risk management policies, preparedness capacity, and community-based initiatives.
What does climate change disaster mean?
Disasters caused by climate change include earthquakes, landslides, strong winds, mudslides, fires, and floods. Considering Georgia's geography and geology, each listed threat is real and not so rare. Therefore, it is of great importance to strengthen the agencies responsible for emergencies related to disasters caused by climate change at the regional, central, and local levels. This, in turn, ensures the communities's sustainability.
Disaster risk management comprises four phases: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. Each phase accordingly involves the activation of the local government and other state agencies in coordination and with the involvement of the population, media, and private and non-governmental organizations.
Prevention involves continuous communication between the local municipality and the central government about existing needs and opportunities, recognizing the warning signs local population notice, and promptly informing relevant services. In the prevention phase, correctly disseminated information by the media about existing studies, hazard maps, and necessary actions during emergencies has a decisive role.
Preparedness is a critical component of disaster risk reduction, especially in the face of increased natural disasters caused by climate change. Through awareness raising, the population becomes more aware of potential risks, enabling them to recognize early warning signs and take proactive measures to protect themselves. In addition, preparedness involves equipping individuals, communities, and institutions with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to respond effectively to a disaster.
This combination reduces the immediate impact of disasters and long-term economic, social, and environmental damage. Informed societies are more resilient and able to adapt and recover faster from disasters. Therefore, raising awareness and preparedness is necessary to create successful societies.
The response phase involves the immediate response of government agencies to the disaster through effective and rapid coordination, providing the right messages to the media, and showing high social responsibility by various organizations. At the recovery stage, it is essential to create a better conditions than the one before the disaster, which is the responsibility of government agencies. At this stage, it is crucial to inform the public about the planned activities adequately and afterward, involve them in the restoration work to achieve the common goals.
Properly analyzing the incident and further refining the emergency response plan, both at the local and central levels, is important in order to reduce the damage caused by potential disasters caused by climate change.
Current activities within the project
Within the project framework, flood hazards and risks were assessed at the community level in Oni municipality, and a geological survey was also conducted. In addition, an emergency management plan is being developed in cooperation with the municipality of Oni, which is in the final stage.
The emergency management communication and awareness-raising strategy are being developed based on the Oni municipality emergency management plan.
In addition, within the project, the teachers of Oni public schools were trained on reducing the risk of disasters caused by climate change. After the training, the project helped the schools develop emergency management plans, after which simulation exercises were conducted in cooperation with the emergency management service.
Respective equipment was donated to the schools to strengthen their technical capacity, ensuring the sustainability and safety of the school community. In addition, within the project's framework, schools are involved in a school competition to raise awareness.
This material was produced in the framework of the Caritas Czech Republic's project, which is carried out in cooperation with the Czech Development Agency (CzDA). The initiative is a part of the Czech Republic's large-scale Official Development Assistance towards Georgia.
