Water supply, hydropower energy
and forestry

The Alazani river basin is in the Kakheti region in east of Georgia. It has a dominant humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with headwaters in the Caucasus Mountainous region. The basin is challenged by limited water resources. This is partly driven by the strong seasonal variation in precipitation and streamflow, with the latter dependent on snowmelt and glaciers. This causes a seasonal risk of droughts, though other challenges include seasonal flooding in selected watersheds. In this Living Lab climate services will address river basin scale water resources data and information needs, and management issues. Multiple socio-economic sectors are important, including agriculture and forestry, but also energy (hydropower), water supply, the environmental sector are considered. Safeguarding water quantity and quality to satisfy drinking water needs is also a key concern. At the same time there is significant development of hydropower, with several plants in the two rivers, as well as agricultural and tourism development.