Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture Solomon Pavliashvili participated in an international conference held at the Government Residence in Dushanbe, the capital of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The conference focused on prioritizing efforts to halt glacier melting and on incorporating the outcomes into the global climate change agenda.
In his speech, Solomon Pavliashvili emphasized the significance of Georgia’s involvement in addressing the global challenge of glacier retreat and highlighted the critical role glaciers play in shaping Georgia’s landscapes, ecosystems, and water resources.
According to the Deputy Minister, both scientific studies and traditional field observations confirm that the rate of glacier loss over the past decade has surpassed the cumulative loss of the previous fifty years. This trend increases the frequency and intensity of glacier-related hazards, such as ice and rock avalanches, glacial lake outburst floods, and cascading disasters.
He also stressed the importance of actions undertaken by the Georgian government, including the identification of critical glacier-related hotspots, enhanced monitoring, risk mapping, and the installation of early warning systems.
Additionally, Pavliashvili underscored the value of implementing preventive measures in high-risk areas, strengthening partnerships with scientific institutions, and raising public awareness.
It is noteworthy that glacier-related challenges and preservation efforts have long been a focus of the international community. In recognition of this, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers (Resolution A/RES/77/158, adopted on December 14, 2022).
The Dushanbe conference gathered more than 2,500 participants from around 90 countries, including senior government officials, representatives of regional and international organizations, academic institutions, and partner organizations.
