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Wednesday | 19 October. 2016
Works-in-Progress on Historical Legacies in the Management of Georgia’s Water Resources
On October 19, 2016, CRRC, ARISC and American Councils are pleased to present the 4th talk of the Fall 2016 WiP series on - "Historical Legacies in the Management of Georgia’s Water Resources" by Ryan Wyeth, Indiana University.

A key aspect of the present-day management of Georgia’s water resources is the rehabilitation and expansion of hydroelectric facilities and of irrigation networks. This development continues to be treated as a priority, despite concerns voiced by academics and activists, both past and present, regarding the advisability of such projects from economic, environmental and social points of view. This presentation, based on a portion of the speaker’s master’s thesis research, will examine the development of hydroelectric production and irrigation in Georgia and the growing objections to such projects. It will then provide a possible explanation for why these projects continue to remain a priority in Georgia, despite the aforementioned objections, and identify directions for further research on this topic. 

Ryan Wyeth just recently received his MA in Geography from Indiana University. His thesis examines the political ecology of water resources management in Georgia over the past several decades. It focuses on the turbulent period of transition from union republic of the USSR to independent nation state in the 1990s, examining the effects of this turbulent transition on management of the country’s water resources. 



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W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place at the new office of CRRC at Chkhikvadze St. 1. It is co-organized by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC), the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, and the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC). All of the talks are free and open to the public.

The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region.

Would you like to present at one of the W-i-P sessions? Send an e-mail to m.sikharulidze@crrccenters.org.