| The total length of the frontier between Georgia and the Azerbaijan Republic is 428.42 kilometers. The frontier starts from the central zone of the eastern segment of the Caucasus ridge and extends to the south to the junction of the Khrami and Mtkvari (Kura) rivers. The Qazakh, Agstafa, Tovuz, Samukh boundary regions in Azerbaijan, and the Lagodekhi, Sighnaghi, Dedoplistkaro, Sagarejo, Gardabani and Marneuli regions in Georgia, experience rather high environmental pressure. |
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The pollution of soils with heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides, the low quality of drinking water (with a high concentration of nitrates), the transfer of various pollutants by rivers, litter and disturbance of lands as a result of maneuvers of the former Soviet Army, illegal forest-felling, and pouching have been recorded on these territories. General pollution of the natural environment has a negative impact on human health on both sides of the frontier. The growth of cancerous, cardiovascular, and other diseases has been observed. The situation is critical and requires taking decisive means since inactivity can lead to environmental catastrophe, which may have a negative impact on the local population. As a response to the alarm signals of the local population — extremely concerned with ongoing worsening of the environmental situation, several organizations decided to implement a joint Azerbaijan-Georgian project. The first joint international environmental project has been implemented by the public organization for promotion of sustainable development "Cherva" (Azerbaijan) and the association "Dzelkva" (Georgia) with the financial support of foundations "ISAR" (Azerbaijan) and "Horizonti" (Georgia) in 2001-2002. A boundary region 40 kilometers wide (20 kilometers of each country) was studied. |
 Degraded Forest |
The present complicated environmental situation has developed as a result of several factors: extensive methods used in agriculture over a long period of time; pollution of the environment with emissions from industrial centers such as Tbilisi, Rustavi, Gyanja, Mingachevir; use of a considerable part of the territory (Jeiranchel, Garayaz and David Gareji steppes, surroundings of the lake Jandargel - Jandara) as a former training ground of the Soviet Army, and the absence of proper attention to environmental issues from the executive authorities (both in Soviet times and at present). The energy crisis of recent years in both states led to the quick growth of anthropogenic pressure on the tugai forest growing on the flood-lands of the river Mtkvari (Kura), accompanied by a mass illegal forest-felling for firewood. Soils are one of the essential components of the nature. When assessing conditions of topsoils it is very important to define the pollution of soils. In this sense the determination of the concentration of heavy metals in soils takes on s a special importance. Heavy metals reach human organisms through the food chain and have negative consequences. The presence of heavy metals including lead, chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, cobalt and other metals was found in the soils of the region. To assess the results this data was compared with so-called Maximum Allowable Concentrations (MAC). The concentration of heavy metals exceeding MAC is not permissible. It was ascertained that in respect of the greatest part of heavy metals the picture is more or less favorable, i.e. their concentration in the soil is below MAC, and thus the soil is not polluted. The picture is rather different in respect with copper and cobalt. Practically the soil of the whole region is polluted with copper to a high extent (2-4 times above MAC). This may be explained by the presence of vineyards in the region, which are being cultivated with copper sulfate containing a high concentration of copper. The same is observed in connection with cobalt (1.5-2 times above MAC). |
 Problem of Drinking Water |
The study of the condition of river water in the main waterways of the region — the rivers Mtkvari (Kura), Iori and Alazani — has shown that the concentration of certain substances in the water is below the standard, i.e. the rivers are not polluted. The only exception is the concentration of copper, oil products and phenols. The concentration of these substances in the water including copper (the concentration of copper in the river Mtkvari (Kura) is above MAC by 900%, in the river Iori - by 1200%, and in the river Alazani - by 1100%) oil products (the concentration of oil products in the river Mtkvari (Kura) is above MAC by 900%, in the river Iori - by 700%, and in the river Alazani - by 600%) and phenols (the concentration of phenols in the river Mtkvari (Kura) is above MAC by 900%, in the river Iori - by 700%, in the river Alazani - by 600%) is catastrophic. At present one of the most urgent problems emerging as a result of intensification of human pressure on ecosystems is the problem of nitrates. The accumulation above the allowable standards of nitrates in soil, water, plants, and air can cause a number of serious diseases. Considering the threat of polluting water with nitrates, the World Health Organization (WHO) established MAC for nitrates. The measurements in Georgia and Azerbaijan are 1.5-2 times higher than the standards set by the WTO and even considering a relatively higher allowable concentration of nitrates in drinking water the water is polluted in many places of the transboundary region. According to the MAC established by the WTO the drinking water of the majority of settlements of the studied transboundary region are polluted with nitrates. |
 Windbreak |
A study of the radioactive background (determination of the concentration of strontium Sr90 and cesium Cs137) showed that a certain part of the region is slightly polluted with radioactive cesium, but practically is not polluted with strontium. The illegal felling of the forests, including the wind belts, can be observed on the whole territory of the region. The volume of illegal felling is rather large, but at the same the growing tendency of revelation of such cases should be noted. Development of wind erosion first of all is caused by the mass destruction of wind belts. To improve the environmental situation in the region, alongside with well known measures for prevention of the further development of both water and wind erosion, pollution of waterways, conservation of vegetation, etc., monitoring (first of all monitoring of the radioactive background) should be organized, the population should be provided with reliable environmental information, the role of governmental and nongovernmental organization in solving environmental problems should be extended, and environmental research in the transboundary region of these two independent states should be continued. |