Risks of Drinking-Water Resource Scarcity under Global Warming and the Necessity of Sustainable Management in Georgia

Abstract

The article examines the impact of global warming on the freshwater cycle and on global trends in drinking-water resource scarcity, among which particularly salient are the spatiotemporal variability of precipitation, the rising frequency and intensity of droughts, and the seasonal reconfiguration of river-flow regimes driven by glacier melt. These processes disrupt the natural hydrological balance, reduce the predictability of water resources, and heighten risks to both quantitative availability and quality safety. Consequently, the probability of extreme hydrometeorological events (prolonged droughts, sudden low-flow conditions) increases, creating structural challenges for regions dependent on freshwater reserves in terms of water management and ensuring access to safe drinking water.

Within this global context, the article describes Georgia’s situation: despite relatively abundant water resources, climate change—combined with governance and infrastructural constraints—elevates the risks of scarcity and limited access. The study relies on a documentary review and comparative cases (Israel, Canada) and surveys the country’s legal framework alongside practical challenges: aging infrastructure and water losses, temporary or spatial constraints in water supply, inequities in access to safe water, insufficient laboratory monitoring, and a pronounced regional imbalance (concentration of resources in western Georgia). It duly highlights unregistered networks and inadequate control mechanisms, which are especially evident in the eastern regions; this is corroborated by the National Food Agency’s sampling practices for 2015–2020, which record physical, chemical, and biological hazards. The analysis identifies weak interagency coordination and the absence of a unified policy, impeding planned management and the transition to modern monitoring systems. In conclusion, the article substantiates the need for a national strategy and action plan, a shift to river-basin management, phased infrastructure renewal, the institutionalization of data-driven monitoring, and the establishment of a dedicated coordinating body; additionally, it underscores the clear delineation of private-sector responsibilities for water quality and provision.