Mtkvari River civilisation river of the South Caucasus

There are a limited number of rivers that have been imbued with civilisational and 'sacred' significance. The Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, and Indus are among the rivers that have played a significant role in the development of ancient civilisations. The Syr Darya and Amu Darya, which originate in Central Asia, provide water for the fertile Fergana Valley and the expansive Khorezm oasis. The Jordan River, despite its modest size, holds a special place in the region as a "sacred historical river."
The Mtkvari River, the principal waterway of the South Caucasus, along with its two largest tributaries, the Arax and the Alazani, also forms part of a group of rivers that have played a pivotal role in the emergence of cultures and civilisations. The Mtkvari River and its tributaries have been associated with the rise of the earliest Christian states, namely Kartli or Iberia (modern-day Georgia) and Caucasian Albania.

Indeed, the genesis of modern Georgian culture and spirituality is rooted in the banks of the Mtkvari River and its tributaries. Consequently, the conservation of the Mtkvari River has been and continues to be of paramount importance to Georgia and its people.

According to the findings of archaeologists and historians, the Mtkvari River was significantly more abundant in ancient times than it is today. Additionally, the level of the Caspian Sea was considerably higher during ancient and medieval periods than it is currently. The renowned Maiden Tower in Baku, which is situated at a considerable distance from the sea, was originally constructed on its shore.
In the ancient period, the Mtkvari-Araks lowland was characterised by vast expanses that were occupied by the Caspian Sea gulf. This was a time when the region was known as Caucasian Albania, and the Mtkvari and Araks rivers flowed separately. The historical centres of Caucasian Albania were established in proximity to this sea gulf. A number of rivers that would later become part of the historical provinces of Shirvan and Karabakh flowed into the Kura, Araks and the sea gulf that would later become the Mtkvari-Araks lowland. This also includes those rivers which, due to the current low water levels, do not reach either the Kura or the sea, and which are instead used for irrigation and drying up in their lower reaches.

The presence of a vast expanse of the sea gulf, which had a considerably higher level of the Caspian Sea, resulted in a climate that was markedly more temperate and humid. The vast majority of the territory comprising the present-day plains and foothills of eastern Georgia and Azerbaijan was once covered with forests, with forest-steppes occupying the area that is now characterised by semi-desert conditions. To illustrate, even the historical city of Ganja, which is currently situated in an arid semi-desert region, was originally encircled by forests.
Additionally, the area that is now the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, was once covered in dense forests. It was in these forests that King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the founder of the city, engaged in hunting activities.

The effects of climate change, coupled with the catastrophic reduction of forests, resulted in a significant decline in the water content of smaller rivers, leading to their drying up. This, in turn, contributed to a reduction in the volume of water flowing into the Caspian Sea from the Mtkvari River. The decline in the volume of water transported by the Volga River, the largest river in the Caspian basin, further exacerbated the situation, leading to a corresponding drop in the sea level.
It is regrettable to note that the Mtkvari River is currently in a state of critical condition. As a consequence of excessive water withdrawal and unreasonable water consumption, the volume of water in the river is declining on an annual basis. The issue of the Kura River's diminished flow is particularly pronounced during the summer months, when the river's water level drops to a level insufficient for maintaining the minimum required outflow to the Caspian Sea. In 2020, as a consequence of shoaling and a critical reduction in the water level in the lower reaches of the river, the Mtkvari ceased to be the primary source of water flowing into the Caspian Sea. Instead, the reverse occurred, with the Caspian Sea water becoming the dominant inflow into the Kura. The saline sea water rendered the fresh river water unusable for a distance of over a dozen kilometres.
During the summer months of this year, the water level in the Kura River once again declined. However, there was no notable influx of saline water from the Caspian Sea. However, this situation cannot be viewed with satisfaction. Indeed, it is a matter of record that over the last three years, the level of the Caspian Sea has fallen by a minimum of 76 centimetres as a consequence of a reduction in river flow. Consequently, the saline waters of the Caspian Sea, following a reduction in its level, are no longer capable of flowing into the Kura riverbed, which is becoming increasingly arid. The shoreline of the shrinking Caspian Sea in the vicinity of the lower reaches of the Kura River is retreating by hundreds of metres annually.

Should the current trends persist, the situation with the Kura and the Caspian Sea will likely mirror that of the Amu Darya and the Aral Sea. It is widely acknowledged that the Amu Darya, which previously flowed into the Aral Sea, no longer reaches it. This occurred firstly due to a significant reduction in the volume of water in the Amu Darya, which has been diverted for economic purposes and irrigation. Secondly, the Aral Sea has undergone a process of desiccation due to a decline in river water inflow, resulting in its retreat from the area where the Amu Darya previously flowed into it.

This demonstrates the crucial importance of the climate change issue for both Central Asia and the South Caucasus. It is therefore evident that further warming and a reduction in precipitation may result in the Mtkvari River failing to reach the Caspian Sea, which is experiencing a process of shoaling. It is for this reason that the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), scheduled for November 2024 and to be held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is of such great importance.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) is an international agreement that has been signed by more than 180 countries worldwide. These include all countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union, as well as all industrialised countries. The agreement establishes common principles for action on climate change. The Convention was formally adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and entered into force on 21 March 1994.
In the current year, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will be held in a country and region for which the issue of climate change is of critical importance. It seems inevitable that the issue of the protection of the Mtkvari River and its basin, and the Caspian Sea, which is of great importance for the countries of the South Caucasus, will be raised at the forthcoming conference.


Vladimir Tskhvediani
Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Strategic Partnership Information Support Centre

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