• Systematic shortcomings will deprive people affected by Georgian dam of compensation

    An official assessment of land assets and livelihoods of people affected by the Nenskra hydropower plant in Georgia contains many mistakes and inaccuracies, as a report released today reveals. The shortcomings of the so-called Land Acquisition and Livelihood Restoration Plan, which is a prerequisite for public financing for the project, will cause severe damage to locals in the Svaneti region in Georgia.
  • Powerline to nowhere: Georgian villages take stand against badly routed transmission lines

    Mountain villages in the country’s northeast protest for changes to the routing of high voltage lines in a series of local protests. Construction on a powerline in Georgia was put on hold one month ago after villagers blocked excavation machinery in the village of Pasanauri. About 150 residents contested the routing, claiming that the project threatens people’s health and safety.
  • Who really benefits from Georgia’s Nenskra hydropower plant?

    Today the Asian Development Bank started its annual meeting and one of the projects that we will be discussing with the bank’s management and Board of Directors is a loan for the 280 megawatt Nenskra hydropower plant in the Svaneti region of Georgia. The ADB is planning to provide a loan of USD 176.70 million and a Political Risk Guarantee over USD 100.00 million for Nenskra, with a total cost of the project of USD 930 million.
  • River defenders gather forces in Georgia

    Free-flowing rivers are often the unsung heroes of the natural world. They support immense biodiversity, as in Macedonia, where the Mala Reka nourishes the scenic Mavrovo National Park, the country’s largest. The park is home to fifty animal species, 129 species of birds, and over a thousand invertebrate species - many of which are strictly protected.