Zurab Noghaideli: Damage is Inevitable with Construction of Hydropower Plants, but Benefits are Immeasurably Great

"I believe it should be rather simple to explain where the country is headed economically, including in terms of energy. It may be too late, but it's better than never,” Zurab Noghaideli, a member of El Green's supervisory board, said.

According to him, Georgia must aim to achieve the parameters of economic development that will enable poverty alleviation. The biggest role in this process is played by the development of energy, and in particular, the development of local generation, including large hydropower facilities.

In this regard, it is clear that any project will have a local impact on the environment, will also affect the usual state of a certain society and in other areas. The main thing here is that the acceptable damage from the construction of hydropower plants is, of course, inevitable, but the benefits are immeasurably greater. In other words, the economic result that we will have for the whole society, for the whole of Georgia, greater than the possible negative consequences that the implementation of this or that project will bring, ”Noghaideli explained.