Georgia is a country with a surface area of 69,700 km2 and a total population of 4.4 million people (2008). 48% of the population lives in rural areas. The latest WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme data showed that in 2008, 92% of the urban population in Georgia used water piped on premises, while this indicator is 51% for rural population. 45% of the rural population used other improved water sources, and 4% of the rural population used unimproved water supply systems. The high proportion of rural population that depends on small scale and community water supplies and which is not yet connected to a well-managed centralized water supply makes the management of small scale water supply systems a problem of national importance.
The project supports the enforcement and implementation of relevant national laws, policies, programmes and international agreements in the area of water and health.
