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Modern Geo-ecological Conditions and Terrain Transformation of Tbilisi (Georgia)

Received: 8 January 2017     Accepted: 25 January 2017     Published: 21 February 2017
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Abstract

Throughout the course of history (especially since the late 1900s) the development of Tbilisi as the capital city, demanded a high level of urbanization. This ever-increasing demand was met with the erection of new dwellings, social hubs (e.g. parks) and infrastructural projects. Riverbeds were diverted in order to clear way for new transportation roots, hillsides and slopes made into large terraces for construction of tall buildings, roads and junctions were also put in place as well as new sufficient railroad tracks going around the city rather than directly through it. To supply the city with fresh water new vast reservoirs were built. Such anthropogenic activity is still evident in Tbilisi. Towns represent complex artificial engineering structures of social-economic nature. The interaction between towns and their surrounding shares a perpetually evolving character. The urbanization and utilization of vast territories for energy resources gives an impetus to an environmental shift of a global scale. Urbanized localities are, therefore, the highest forms of human habitation. Urbanization as a notion is considered to be a factor in the improvement social advancement. However, there are certain contradictions as some forms of such advancement may in fact bring more harm than benefit to the society. The rapid rise in the population of an urbanized locality ultimately results in the formation of incontrollable, problematic, and often illegal slums and shantytowns. A wide-ranging, complex study of the surrounding environments of the town, however, is an essential component to regulating such processes. Such studies can act as a foundation for effective geo-ecological development and for planning priorities and strategies of further work. Hazardous exo-dynamic processes (Landslides, debrisflow/mudflows, avalanches, riverbed erosions etc) as well as a the rapid growth of the human population has placed Tbilisi into the category of highly dangerous territories, as any natural catastrophe that may occur within the limits of the city will result in excessive economic and humanitarian losses. The study of geo-ecological and landscape transformation of Tbilisi is, thus, of both academic and practical use.

Published in Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (Volume 2, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.larp.20170201.15
Page(s) 36-42
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Tbilisi, Terrain Transformation, Relief, Hazardous Processes

References
[1] Gaprindashvili, G., Gaprindashvili, M. and Tsereteli, E. (2016) Natural Disaster in Tbilisi City (Riv. Vere Basin) in the Year 2015. International Journal of Geosciences, 7, 1074-1087 http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ijg.2016.79082
[2] Gadrani, L., & Gaprindashvili, G. (2015). Modern Geo-ecological Conditions of Tbilisi. Modern Problems of geography and Anthropology. Proceedings of International Conference, 272-276.
[3] Tsereteli E., Gobejishvili R., Gaprindashvili M., Gaprindashvili G. - Challenges of geologic catastrophes in Georgia and ways of their reduction, Engineering Geology for Society and Territory – Volume 2, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_313, © Springer International Publishing Switzerland, p.p 1767-1773, 2014, http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-319-09057-3_313;
[4] Gaprindashvili G., Gerkeuli T., Tsereteli E., Gaprindashvili M. (2016) Geological Hazards in Samtskhe-Javakheti Region (Georgia). International Journal of Geosciences, 7, 311-324. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ijg.2016.73024
[5] Gaprindashvili G., Cees J. Van Westen (2016) Generation of a ational landslide hazard and risk map for the country of Georgia, Journal “Natural Hazards” January 2016, Volume 80, Issue 1, pp. 69-101 ISSN 0921-030X, DOI 10.1007/s11069-015-1958-5; http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-015-1958-5.
[6] Information bulletin: The developments in the state of hazardous geological processes in Georgia; The rise in these processes in the year of 2012 and risks of danger for the year of 2013 (2013). Summary of the geological report of the geological department of the national environmental agency of the Environmental and natural recourses protection Ministry of Georgia, Tbilisi pg. 465;
[7] Information bulletin: The state of the development of natural hazards in Georgia, The rise in such processes in the year of 2014 and the potential risks for the year of 2015 (2015). Summary of the geological report of the geological department of the national environmental agency of the Environmental and natural recourses protection Ministry of Georgia, Tbilisi pg. 376.
[8] Gaprindashvili G., Guo J., Daorueang P., Xin T. and Rahimy P. - A New Statistic Approach towards Landslide Hazard Risk Assessment. International Journal of Geosciences, 5, 38-49. doi: 10.4236/ijg.2014.51006. 2014 http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=42200#.VbtpulgUf_Q
[9] J. Z. Zhou, L. Q. Han, X. P. Xu, W. J. Chu, "Research of Terrain Model Transformation and Processing Technology Based on Node Transformation", Applied Mechanics and Materials, Vol. 487, pp. 319-323, 2014 http://www.scientific.net/AMM.487.319
[10] Bondireiv I., Seperteladze Z, Chaladze T & Janelidze T., Anthropogenic transformations of the environment of Tbilisi and its surroundings, year of 2008.
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  • APA Style

    Lela Gadrani, George Gaprindashvili. (2017). Modern Geo-ecological Conditions and Terrain Transformation of Tbilisi (Georgia). Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, 2(1), 36-42. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.larp.20170201.15

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    ACS Style

    Lela Gadrani; George Gaprindashvili. Modern Geo-ecological Conditions and Terrain Transformation of Tbilisi (Georgia). Landsc. Archit. Reg. Plan. 2017, 2(1), 36-42. doi: 10.11648/j.larp.20170201.15

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    AMA Style

    Lela Gadrani, George Gaprindashvili. Modern Geo-ecological Conditions and Terrain Transformation of Tbilisi (Georgia). Landsc Archit Reg Plan. 2017;2(1):36-42. doi: 10.11648/j.larp.20170201.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.larp.20170201.15,
      author = {Lela Gadrani and George Gaprindashvili},
      title = {Modern Geo-ecological Conditions and Terrain Transformation of Tbilisi (Georgia)},
      journal = {Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning},
      volume = {2},
      number = {1},
      pages = {36-42},
      doi = {10.11648/j.larp.20170201.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.larp.20170201.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.larp.20170201.15},
      abstract = {Throughout the course of history (especially since the late 1900s) the development of Tbilisi as the capital city, demanded a high level of urbanization. This ever-increasing demand was met with the erection of new dwellings, social hubs (e.g. parks) and infrastructural projects. Riverbeds were diverted in order to clear way for new transportation roots, hillsides and slopes made into large terraces for construction of tall buildings, roads and junctions were also put in place as well as new sufficient railroad tracks going around the city rather than directly through it. To supply the city with fresh water new vast reservoirs were built. Such anthropogenic activity is still evident in Tbilisi. Towns represent complex artificial engineering structures of social-economic nature. The interaction between towns and their surrounding shares a perpetually evolving character. The urbanization and utilization of vast territories for energy resources gives an impetus to an environmental shift of a global scale. Urbanized localities are, therefore, the highest forms of human habitation. Urbanization as a notion is considered to be a factor in the improvement social advancement. However, there are certain contradictions as some forms of such advancement may in fact bring more harm than benefit to the society. The rapid rise in the population of an urbanized locality ultimately results in the formation of incontrollable, problematic, and often illegal slums and shantytowns. A wide-ranging, complex study of the surrounding environments of the town, however, is an essential component to regulating such processes. Such studies can act as a foundation for effective geo-ecological development and for planning priorities and strategies of further work. Hazardous exo-dynamic processes (Landslides, debrisflow/mudflows, avalanches, riverbed erosions etc) as well as a the rapid growth of the human population has placed Tbilisi into the category of highly dangerous territories, as any natural catastrophe that may occur within the limits of the city will result in excessive economic and humanitarian losses. The study of geo-ecological and landscape transformation of Tbilisi is, thus, of both academic and practical use.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
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    AB  - Throughout the course of history (especially since the late 1900s) the development of Tbilisi as the capital city, demanded a high level of urbanization. This ever-increasing demand was met with the erection of new dwellings, social hubs (e.g. parks) and infrastructural projects. Riverbeds were diverted in order to clear way for new transportation roots, hillsides and slopes made into large terraces for construction of tall buildings, roads and junctions were also put in place as well as new sufficient railroad tracks going around the city rather than directly through it. To supply the city with fresh water new vast reservoirs were built. Such anthropogenic activity is still evident in Tbilisi. Towns represent complex artificial engineering structures of social-economic nature. The interaction between towns and their surrounding shares a perpetually evolving character. The urbanization and utilization of vast territories for energy resources gives an impetus to an environmental shift of a global scale. Urbanized localities are, therefore, the highest forms of human habitation. Urbanization as a notion is considered to be a factor in the improvement social advancement. However, there are certain contradictions as some forms of such advancement may in fact bring more harm than benefit to the society. The rapid rise in the population of an urbanized locality ultimately results in the formation of incontrollable, problematic, and often illegal slums and shantytowns. A wide-ranging, complex study of the surrounding environments of the town, however, is an essential component to regulating such processes. Such studies can act as a foundation for effective geo-ecological development and for planning priorities and strategies of further work. Hazardous exo-dynamic processes (Landslides, debrisflow/mudflows, avalanches, riverbed erosions etc) as well as a the rapid growth of the human population has placed Tbilisi into the category of highly dangerous territories, as any natural catastrophe that may occur within the limits of the city will result in excessive economic and humanitarian losses. The study of geo-ecological and landscape transformation of Tbilisi is, thus, of both academic and practical use.
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Author Information
  • Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

  • Vakhushti Bagrationi Institute of Geography, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

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