TBILISI, DFWatch–In the remote high-altitude villages of southwestern Georgia, youngsters are leaving while remaining residents have to deal with limited internet access, sparse infrastructure, and regulatory hurdles.
Many young people are leaving settlements like Ghorjomi and Didachara in search of work, while those who remain struggle with poor communications networks and unresolved land registration issues, Georgia’s ombudsman Levan Ioseliani was told as he visited Saturday.
The ombudsman toured two Muslim-majority village in Khulo municipality near the Turkish border, including a local mosque. He also met with residents in a region long affected by a challenging landscape where infrastructure is sparse.
In Ghorjomi, a lack of economic opportunity has accelerated migration, and patchy internet connectivity hinders education and access to public services. In nearby Didachara, efforts to expand mobile and internet coverage to summer pastures began two years ago but were never completed. Residents also report difficulty formalizing land ownership, complicating economic development and long-term planning.
The Public Defender’s office has for years monitored conditions in Georgia’s highland regions and includes recommendations in its annual reports to parliament.
