Reducing the Vulnerability of Georgia's Agricultural Systems to Climate Change : Impact Assessment and Adaptation Options

In countries such as Georgia, the risks of climate change for the agricultural sector are a particularly immediate and important problem because the majority of the rural population depends either directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods. The most effective plans for adapting the sector to climate change will involve both human capital and physical capital enhancements; however, many of these investments can also enhance agricultural productivity right now, under current climate conditions. Recommendations, such as improving the accessibility to farmers of agriculturally relevant weather forecasts, will yield benefits as soon as they are implemented and provide a means for farmers to autonomously adapt their practices as climate changes. In response to these challenges, the World Bank and the Government of Georgia embarked on a joint study to identify and prioritize options for climate change adaptation of the agricultural sector, with explicit consideration of greenhouse gas emission reduction potential of these options. The study was conducted in three stages: awareness raising; quantitative and qualitative analysis; and finalization of the analysis and menu of adaptation options. This report provides a menu of options for climate change adaptation in the agricultural and water resources sectors, along with specific recommended actions that are tailored to distinct agricultural regions within Georgia. This report provides a summary of the methods, data, results, and recommendations for each of these activities, which were reviewed by local counterparts at the October 8, 2012, national dissemination and consensus building conference.