Type of Event: Mass movement (Landslide);
Date/Time of Event (UTC): 2023-08-03 13:00:00;
Activation Date/Time (UTC): 2023-08-11 17:08:00;
Dedicated Mechanism: Copernicus EMS (RRM);
Affected Country: Georgia;
Affected Area: Northwestern Georgia;
Event Description:

On 3 August 3 2023, a landslide hit the Georgian municipality of Oni in the mountains of the south Caucasian country of Georgia. The area is located in the Racha region, near the Russian border, about 140 kilometres northwest of the capital city Tbilisi. The landslide destroyed the resort area of Shovi. On 10.08.2023, 21 casualties have been reported along with a further 18 missing as rescue efforts continue.

This CEMS Risk and Recovery Standard activation has been requested to provide an analysis of the damage and assess conditions around the glacier and in the downstream valley before and after the event. The delivered products were:

• Post-disaster digital surface model (P01.1) of the area. It could help to estimate the change of surface due to the mudflow.

• Pre-event reference datasets and land cover maps (P02.1 and P03.1), which aim at providing up-to-date pre-event reference information (datasets and Land Use Land Cover) and have been used to support the damage grading.

• Delineation of the mudflow (P04) and assessment of damage on assets (P08.1) and the associated statistics (P14): A total flooded area of 264,44 ha have been observed and 3km of roads have been affected and 37 buildings have been destroyed (54 affected in the AOI).

• Post-disaster soil erosion risk assessment (P16) to provide modelled erosion susceptibility information due to the landslide. It was derived through the RUSLE methodology. The analysis revealed a high susceptibility to soil erosion within agricultural and bush regions, with a notable escalation in steeper slope areas, particularly evident in the northern section of the AOI.

• Post-disaster landslide risk assessment (P17) to provide the hazard level in AOI01 Shovi, after the event. It revealed a robust correlation between landslide susceptibility and local relief. Within the area of interest (AOI), prominent localities are situated predominantly in less susceptibility zones. Conversely, seemingly more distant regions characterized by steeper slopes, elevated altitudes, and proximity to river valleys exhibit a heightened vulnerability to landslides.

Details, maps:
▸ [EMSN161] Landslide in Racha region, Georgia
Activation Feed (GeoRSS):
▸ http://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/list-of-components/EMSN161/feed