The Demogeographic Crisis in Racha, Georgia: Depopulation in the Central Caucasus Mountains

Thomas Kohler,Giorgi Meladze,Nodar Elizbarashvili,Davit Svanadze,Heino Meessen

doi:10.1659/mrd-journal-d-17-00064.1

Thomas Kohler, Giorgi Meladze + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1659/mrd-journal-d-17-00064.1

Copy DOI

Abstract

Many rural mountain areas across the world are facing depopulation due to outmigration and negative natural population growth. This study examines depopulation in the mountains of Georgia based on the example of Oni municipality in the Racha region on the southern slopes of the Central (Greater) Caucasus. Depopulation in Oni, as in other Georgian mountain areas, has been driven by the socioeconomic and political disruption associated with the ongoing transition from a planned to a market economy after the demise of the Soviet Union. Based on official Georgian statistics for the period from 1989 to 2014/2016, the study documents a 50% loss of population over this period. While data on migration are lacking, the natural growth rate dropped from about −5‰ to −14‰, due to a combined decrease in the number of women of childbearing age (20–49 years of age) and in the number of births by women in this age group. Aging is reaching drastic levels, especially in rural communities, with 37% of the population in 2015...

Highlights

Many rural mountain areas across the world are facing an increasing demographic challenge due to outmigration, low fertility rates, aging, and, depopulation
We focus on the period from 1989 to 2014/2016 and on the municipality of Oni in the Racha region on the southern slopes of the Central (Greater) Caucasus
This paper aims to document population dynamics, including the drastic loss of population, in the mountain areas of Georgia from just before the demise of the Soviet Union to the present (1989–2014/2016)

Summary

Introduction

Many rural mountain areas across the world are facing an increasing demographic challenge due to outmigration, low fertility rates, aging, and, depopulation. Evidence of depopulation has been provided for the Caucasus, including detailed demographic analyses comparing mountains and lowlands in North OssetiaAlania (Gracheva et al 2012) and a general regional overview across the Caucasus (Radvanyi and Muduyew 2007) This general overview reports high population losses for the mountains of Georgia since the late 1980s, as compared to the North Caucasus, which forms part of the Russian Federation. Racha is divided into 2 municipalities: Ambrolauri, situated at intermediate altitudes, and Oni, which reaches up to the highest peaks of the Central Caucasus It is bordered by Russia in the north and east and by the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) occupied by Russia in the southeast. New protected areas are planned across the region, and the local people pin their hopes on these for regional development (Elizbarashvili et al 2000)

Aims and methods

Results

Discussion and conclusion