Glaciers are one of the most important natural resources of our country, however, in the context of global climate change, glaciers are also subject to natural hazards, which the Shovi tragedy painfully reminded each of us of a couple of years ago, - Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated during a meeting with Daniel Tobler, an expert from the Swiss company GEOTEST, regarding the results of the study of glacial valleys.

According to the government administration, the expert from the company GEOTEST, with whom an agreement was signed in 2024 to study natural hazards in glacial valleys, presented the results of the study to the Head of the Government of Georgia today.

“The Prime Minister thanked the Swiss and Georgian experts for their work in the glacial valleys study and emphasized the outstanding experience of the GEOTEST company in assessing similar threats worldwide and issuing relevant recommendations.

A study of this scale, within the framework of which threats were assessed in 22 glacial valleys across the country, was carried out for the first time in Georgia’s history. The study revealed that there is no immediate threat, however, the geographical areas where challenges exist have been identified and it is necessary to deploy modern monitoring systems in order to manage risks.

The process of deploying the monitoring system will begin this year and will be implemented in stages. In order to coordinate the process, a government coordination mechanism will be established in the government administration, where all relevant agencies will be united, which will be responsible for managing the process in accordance with their competencies,” reads the information.