Abkhazia plans major ski resort as environmental fears grow
A major ski resort is planned in Abkhazia, with the government predicting the project could boost the local economy by 25%.
But instead of excitement, many residents have voiced concern — and in some cases outright opposition — on social media, warning that the resort could harm the mountain environment.
The project was developed jointly with Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development and would include 200km (124 miles) of ski slopes.
So far, only a model of the future hotel complex for 6,000 guests has been unveiled. The Abkhaz government presented it at the recent Caucasus Investment Forum in the Russian city of Mineralnye Vody.
Teimuraz Mikvabia said preliminary estimates suggested the project could create up to 6,000 new jobs, both at the resort itself and in related sectors such as logistics, catering and food production.
“According to preliminary estimates, if this project begins operating in the near future, it could create 6,000 new jobs, both at the resort itself and in related sectors — logistics, public catering and food production,” he said.
He added that the project had not yet reached the stage of preparing design documentation and that work was currently limited to a preliminary outline “in broad terms”.
“We are looking at the possibility of moving forward taking into account our landscape and transport accessibility.”
The proposal was met with criticism on social media, with many users expressing concern about the environmental impact of the planned resort.
Public concern deepened after it emerged that representatives of the state environmental service had not even been aware of the project.
Temur Gulia, head of the veterans’ organisation Aruaa, summed up many of the concerns. He warned that the project would inevitably lead to significant and irreversible changes to the ecosystem.
According to Gulia, the first and most serious threat is the destruction of the natural habitat of rare species of flora and fauna. Large-scale construction, including ski slopes and infrastructure, would require deforestation and changes to the landscape. He said this could fragment habitats, destroy feeding and breeding grounds for wildlife, and lead to the disappearance of plant species.
He also warned that construction work, ski facilities, transport, wastewater treatment systems and growing human pressure — including rubbish and noise pollution — would lead to the degradation of water and soil quality.
Gulia said the project would also have a significant impact on the area’s water balance, potentially causing groundwater levels to fall and natural water sources to dry up.
Finally, he argued that the creation of a ski resort cluster would lead to an increase in tourist flows, bringing additional noise pollution, soil erosion, damage to vegetation and poaching. Taken together, these factors, he said, threaten to transform a valuable natural area into a degraded landscape.
“But everything listed above is only a small part of the problem. We will explain just how destructive the consequences could be when you finally decide to destroy our mountains for money.
“And one final question: who did you ask before taking such a decision?” Temur Gulia concluded.
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Ski resort project in Abkhazia
