Climate migration and the redefinition of borders: Insights from Georgia

routedmagazine
Jul 28
4 min read

Updated: Aug 2

By Tatiana Sitchinava | OMC 2025

Introduction

Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is reshaping how people live, move, and understand borders. The increasing frequency of environmental events has made migration a vital adaptation strategy. In Georgia—a country marked by sharp ecological contrasts and layered political histories—the impact of climate change is triggering a new kind of mobility: displacement not only across land but also across cultural, social, and political boundaries.

Climate awareness in Georgian thought

Georgia’s varied landscape—shaped by mountains, lowland plains, and diverse orographic features—has long made climate a central theme in local life. In traditional knowledge systems, climatic zones were deeply integrated into how Georgians thought about their regions and resources. This is reflected in historic documents and cartographic materials, such as Description of Samegrelo by the Italian missionary Arcangelo Lambert, who offered detailed climate observations of western Georgia in the 17th century (Georgian Electronic Library Archive).

Climate documentation in Georgia dates back to 1735, when Vakhushti Bagrationi first described regional climate patterns. Later, Soviet researchers like Alexander Javakhishvili and Mikheil Kordzakhia established systematic meteorological records. More recently, Elizbar Elizbarashvili and his team have developed climate zoning data to assess risks and enhance resilience (Georgian National Encyclopedia, 2024).

Recent developments: The Shovi landslide and beyond

On August 3, 2023, a deadly landslide struck the resort area of Shovi in the Racha-Lechkhumi region, killing dozens and displacing entire communities. According to the National Environmental Agency (NEA) (NEA Facebook post), the landslide was caused by prolonged precipitation and glacial melt—both symptoms of climate change. The aftermath revealed significant gaps in infrastructure and emergency preparedness, and exposed the vulnerability of rural and mountainous areas. These events are part of a broader pattern, as Georgia has seen increased desertification in the east, more frequent flooding in the west, and changes in agricultural viability across the country.

As the environment shifts, so too do patterns of internal migration. Families are increasingly forced to leave ancestral villages—not due to war or politics, but because their land no longer sustains them. The question then becomes: where can these displaced communities go? The answer, in many cases, is increasingly outside their immediate region or even the country.

Borders: Beyond the physical

Climate migration is challenging traditional ideas of borders. In Georgia, a country with ongoing territorial disputes and unresolved conflicts, climate-related displacements blur the line between internally displaced persons (IDPs) and climate migrants. As rural areas become less livable, displaced populations are not just moving across the country but also across international borders, with some migrating to Turkey, Russia, or European Union (EU) countries in search of better opportunities. This raises critical questions about regional cooperation, as well as the capacity of institutions to respond to this new form of migration.

Various EU-funded initiatives like the EU4Climate programme and the Eastern Partnership (EAP) EaP GREEN programme aim to enhance environmental resilience across the region. Although these frameworks have yet to directly address "climate mobility," they encourage integrated climate adaptation measures that could help mitigate the socio-economic impacts of environmental displacement. However, the implementation of such measures remains uneven, especially in high-risk, rural areas.

At the national level, policy frameworks remain inadequate to deal with the rapid pace of change. There is currently no legal category for "climate migrant," and social protection systems are not fully equipped to handle environmental displacement. This leaves many affected families in a legal and bureaucratic limbo, unable to access the necessary support.

Expert insights and emerging debates

Experts in climatology, geography, and urban planning in Georgia are calling for stronger interdisciplinary collaboration (Business and Technology University, 18.11.2024). Effective adaptation must combine environmental data with social planning, integrating climate resilience into urban design, infrastructure development, and migration policy. Bridging the gap between international frameworks and national implementation is key to addressing climate migration effectively.

Although Georgia has ratified numerous international agreements, including the Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity, the translation of these commitments into local action—particularly in remote and high-risk areas—remains weak. Moreover, questions about how international aid and cooperation can be better tailored to local needs persist, especially when working with vulnerable populations in rural areas.

Conclusion: Toward climate-conscious migration policy

The story of climate change in Georgia is not just about rising temperatures or melting glaciers. It’s about how environmental shifts redefine borders—socially, politically, and emotionally. From ancient climate knowledge to modern vulnerability mapping, Georgia’s history of environmental awareness offers a foundation for building resilience. But new tools, laws, and institutions are urgently needed to protect those most at risk.

Climate migration is not only a matter of environmental justice but also a matter of national security, development planning, and human dignity. The recent landslides in Shovi, the historical knowledge embedded in Georgian cartography, and the urgent debates among scientists illustrate the layered and evolving complexity of displacement in the era of climate change.

Georgia may be small, but its journey offers broader insights into how countries can—and must—adapt to a world where borders are no longer just lines on a map, but shifting realities shaped by the climate crisis. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, Georgia’s experience serves as a crucial reminder: adaptation and resilience are not just local issues, but global necessities.

Dr. Tatiana Sitchinava

Tatiana is an Assistant Researcher at Ilia State University's Institute of Demography and Sociology, specializes in migration, migrant integration, and interdisciplinary research. She holds a PhD in Human Geography and led Working Group 3 in COST Action CA19112 "WEMov" and represented Georgia at the 14th Global Forum on Migration and Development. Tatiana is also a member of the Mixed Migration Research Group at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.