A Group of GTU Scientists Is Conducting Research on the Rioni River
22-09-2025
A group of scientists from the Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology of the Georgian Technical University is conducting research within the framework of the grant project “Application of mathematical-cartographic modeling for the assessment and analysis of the ecological state of rivers (on the example of the Rioni River)”.
The grant project is being implemented by the head of the Geoecological Monitoring Department of the Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, project leader Dimitri Abzianidze, scientific associates: Nino Kezevadze, Tinatin Dzadzamia, Vera Abzianidze, chemist Lasha Khvichia and laboratory assistant Gvantsa Zadishvili.
According to Dimitri Abzianidze, the goal of the project is to conduct an in-depth study of the ecological state of the Rioni River, assess the existing environmental factors and the sustainability of the ecosystem.
“Using the methodology of mathematical-cartographic modeling, it will be possible to analyze the hydrological and ecological parameters of the river, which will contribute to the development of recommendations for environmental protection and sustainable management. Within the framework of the research, we will conduct hydrogeological observations, spatial data analysis, and develop modern methods for assessing environmental impacts. The results will be important for both scientific circles, as well as state agencies and local communities, in the protection and rational use of the resources of the Rioni River. Systematic monitoring of the ecological state is a rather laborious task and requires both large material costs and large human resources. The use of mathematical-cartographic modeling for the analysis of the eco-geological system will allow us to avoid carrying out part of the laborious and expensive work. Based on the analysis, a mathematical imitation of the ecological state and processes will be created, which is very relevant today. Most importantly, the model will be built based on the minimum possible data (which is very relevant today). An example of this is our current research, that is, how laborious work can be carried out with minimal costs and by a small number of workers,” the project leader says.
According to Mikheil Janikashvili, Head of the GTU Department of Science and Innovations, a group of scientists from the Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology will employ analytical and empirical methods of mathematical modeling in their research, which enable the mathematical description of an object as its parameters change over a wide range.
“Water is a necessary and most important source of existence, without its life and, moreover, economic development is impossible. Georgia is a country rich in water resources. Checking the ecological state of existing rivers and protecting their ecological sustainability is a particularly important task today. Therefore, to contribute to overcoming the ecological crisis, our scientists chose to study the ecological state of one of the largest rivers in Georgia, the Rioni. Scientists’ interest in the Rioni was aroused by the fact that the river is an object of intensive anthropogenic impact, since its basin contains many densely populated cities and villages, where many industrial, agricultural, and household facilities are located. One of the right tributaries of the Rioni is the Lukhuni River, where an arsenic deposit was located, and the ecological problems of the left tributary, the Kvirila River, after the start of exploitation of the manganese ore deposit from day one to this day, it has always been and remains a subject of discussion. The river, which is under the influence of the manganese mining and enrichment plant in Chiatura, and therefore the population, is facing a rather difficult ecological situation, which poses a threat to human health and the environment.
It is worth noting that in 2020-2022, the geo-ecological monitoring group conducted a study of the ecological state of the Lukhuni and Kvirila rivers, and a partial study of the Rioni river was started (samples were taken, and the state of the Rioni river at the confluence of the mentioned tributaries was calculated). Along with other research results, scientists will have an answer to how tributaries affect the ecological state of the Rioni River. The research conducted on the example of the Rioni river is particularly important because it combines modern mathematical and cartographic approaches in the analysis of environmental issues. Such an interdisciplinary approach allows us to obtain more accurate and complex information on the ecological state of the river. This research is not only valuable from a scientific point of view, but also has practical significance - the results obtained will contribute to the sustainable management of river resources, protection of the interests of the local population, and long-term preservation of the ecosystem. It is important that such initiatives create the basis for the introduction of modern environmental protection standards in Georgia,” says Mikheil Janikashvili.
The grant project is being implemented by the head of the Geoecological Monitoring Department of the Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, project leader Dimitri Abzianidze, scientific associates: Nino Kezevadze, Tinatin Dzadzamia, Vera Abzianidze, chemist Lasha Khvichia and laboratory assistant Gvantsa Zadishvili.
According to Dimitri Abzianidze, the goal of the project is to conduct an in-depth study of the ecological state of the Rioni River, assess the existing environmental factors and the sustainability of the ecosystem.
“Using the methodology of mathematical-cartographic modeling, it will be possible to analyze the hydrological and ecological parameters of the river, which will contribute to the development of recommendations for environmental protection and sustainable management. Within the framework of the research, we will conduct hydrogeological observations, spatial data analysis, and develop modern methods for assessing environmental impacts. The results will be important for both scientific circles, as well as state agencies and local communities, in the protection and rational use of the resources of the Rioni River. Systematic monitoring of the ecological state is a rather laborious task and requires both large material costs and large human resources. The use of mathematical-cartographic modeling for the analysis of the eco-geological system will allow us to avoid carrying out part of the laborious and expensive work. Based on the analysis, a mathematical imitation of the ecological state and processes will be created, which is very relevant today. Most importantly, the model will be built based on the minimum possible data (which is very relevant today). An example of this is our current research, that is, how laborious work can be carried out with minimal costs and by a small number of workers,” the project leader says.
According to Mikheil Janikashvili, Head of the GTU Department of Science and Innovations, a group of scientists from the Institute of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology will employ analytical and empirical methods of mathematical modeling in their research, which enable the mathematical description of an object as its parameters change over a wide range.
“Water is a necessary and most important source of existence, without its life and, moreover, economic development is impossible. Georgia is a country rich in water resources. Checking the ecological state of existing rivers and protecting their ecological sustainability is a particularly important task today. Therefore, to contribute to overcoming the ecological crisis, our scientists chose to study the ecological state of one of the largest rivers in Georgia, the Rioni. Scientists’ interest in the Rioni was aroused by the fact that the river is an object of intensive anthropogenic impact, since its basin contains many densely populated cities and villages, where many industrial, agricultural, and household facilities are located. One of the right tributaries of the Rioni is the Lukhuni River, where an arsenic deposit was located, and the ecological problems of the left tributary, the Kvirila River, after the start of exploitation of the manganese ore deposit from day one to this day, it has always been and remains a subject of discussion. The river, which is under the influence of the manganese mining and enrichment plant in Chiatura, and therefore the population, is facing a rather difficult ecological situation, which poses a threat to human health and the environment.
It is worth noting that in 2020-2022, the geo-ecological monitoring group conducted a study of the ecological state of the Lukhuni and Kvirila rivers, and a partial study of the Rioni river was started (samples were taken, and the state of the Rioni river at the confluence of the mentioned tributaries was calculated). Along with other research results, scientists will have an answer to how tributaries affect the ecological state of the Rioni River. The research conducted on the example of the Rioni river is particularly important because it combines modern mathematical and cartographic approaches in the analysis of environmental issues. Such an interdisciplinary approach allows us to obtain more accurate and complex information on the ecological state of the river. This research is not only valuable from a scientific point of view, but also has practical significance - the results obtained will contribute to the sustainable management of river resources, protection of the interests of the local population, and long-term preservation of the ecosystem. It is important that such initiatives create the basis for the introduction of modern environmental protection standards in Georgia,” says Mikheil Janikashvili.
