Outlook on Climate Change Adaptation in the South Caucasus Mountains

Summary of Key hazards, vulnerabilities and risks (continued)

Key vulnerabilities

Key risks

Climate hazards Energy

• Increase in temperature including extremely hot days; • Extreme weather events such as strong winds/storms, heavy and intense rainfalls etc. • Increase in number of natural disasters land slides, mudslides etc.

• Vulnerable water resources for hydropower plants and thermal/atomic plants for cooling. • Vulnerability of entire energy grid system.

• Interruption of energy supply for population and industry. • Increase in energy demand. • Risks for cooling systems. • Persistent use of traditional energy sources such as firewood leading to deforestation.

Mining industry

• Increase in number of natural disasters in mining areas, through heavy rainfalls, etc. • Increase in number of natural disasters land slides, mudslides etc.

• Vulnerability increase of mining infrastructure and employee security. • Increase in vulnerability of active mining infrastructure. • Increase in vulnerability of old mining infrastructure (tailing ponds, waste sites etc.).

• High risks in casualties and injuries. • High risks in pollution outbreaks. • Damage to mining infrastructure and financial losses of industry from natural hazards.

Tourism

• Increase in temperatures; events such as floods, landslides, mudslides, avalanches etc.

• Vulnerability of tourism sector e.g. winter sports. • Vulnerability to infrastructure, indirect vulnerability through food and water supply.

• Safety and security of visitors, reduction in visitors, loss of tourism sector revenue, risk to health, energy and water availability.

Human health and security

• Increase in temperature; including number of extremely hot days. • Events such as floods, landslides, mudslides, avalanches, windstorms etc.

• Limited ability to cope, particularly for elderly people and population already suffering from different diseases. • Vulnerability of economically active population working for enterprises with low safety standards. • Vulnerability of population approaching or below the poverty line and/or socially vulnerable groups.

• Injuries and casualties. • Migration triggered by aggravating environmental conditions. • Destruction of property, livelihoods and infrastructure. • Increase in poverty.

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