Part I

Draft Black Sea Regional Transmission Project ESIA
communities near the transmission line is older, in general, and would be familiar with more
traditional styles of decision making and government interventions in daily life, including
disturbances for infrastructure projects.
Ethnicity. The ethnicities of the communities along the transmission line corridor reflect the
complexity of the Caucasus. Areas along the eastern portion of the line are inhabited by
predominantly ethnic Azeris who speak the Azeri language, with Georgian and Russian as
second languages. This includes the communities of Ilmazlo, Algetis Meurneoba, and
Kosalari, and the larger communities of Marneuli and Gardabani. These populations are
predominantly Muslim and tend to adhere to more traditional social norms. The middle and
northern portions of the lines are predominantly ethnic Georgians. This includes areas
around Zestaphoni, Pirveli, and Kvaliti. They speak Georgian as a first language and older
populations may speak Russian. The Georgians are Georgian Orthodox. Communities in the
southernmost areas along the central portion of the route are ethnic Armenian. This includes
the community of Tskurti, and portions on Militi and Tabatskuri. They speak Armenian as
their primary language, with Georgian and Russian as second languages. They adhere to
the Armenian Orthodox religion and tend, like the Azeris, to adhere closely to their own
ethnic traditions and social norms. In the communities of Persa the people are Meskhs who
were forcibly settled there in 1944 during the Stalinist period, after being moved from the
Georgian coast of the Black Sea near Turkey. They have Turkish roots, speak Georgian and
Turkish, and are Sunni Muslim (Conquest, 1991).
Literacy rates/education rates. One legacy of the Soviet system is that literacy rates for
Georgia are exceptionally high, with official rates are set as high as 99.8 percent nationally,
and even lower estimates do not range much below 95 percent (UNDP, 2009).
Migration. As in the rest of the world, the urbanization of Georgia is occurring as many
people from the countryside come to the larger towns in search of economic opportunities.
Currently, the percent of population living in urban areas is 52.2 percent, and it is expected
to rise to 53.8 percent by 2015 (UNDP, 2009). There is significant migration to the cities from
the areas along the route of the transmission line. The BTC ESIA surveys indicate that
approximately 30 percent of surveyed households along the BTC route (which runs parallel
to a sizeable part of the transmission line corridor) have had at least one member of the
household leave to settle elsewhere. The reasons for leaving are to find employment in
another country (48 percent), to get married (40 percent), to work in Tbilisi or another part of
Georgia (15 percent), and for educational opportunities for themselves and their children (9
percent) (BTC Co. 2002).
Migration. As in the rest of the world, the urbanization of Georgia is occurring as many
people from the countryside come to the larger towns in search of economic opportunities.
Currently, the percent of population living in urban areas is 52.2 percent, and it is expected
to rise to 53.8 percent by 2015 (UNDP, 2009). There is significant migration to the cities from
the areas along the route of the transmission line. The BTC ESIA surveys indicate that
approximately 30 percent of surveyed households along the BTC route (which runs parallel
to a sizeable part of the transmission line corridor) have had at least one member of the
household leave to settle elsewhere. The reasons for leaving are to find employment in
another country (48 percent), to get married (40 percent), to work in Tbilisi or another part of
Georgia (15 percent), and for educational opportunities for themselves and their children (9
percent) (BTC Co. 2002).
95