Alexey Gerelis: A unified state system for monitoring hazardous natural phenomena in Sochi is needed

Abstract: Landslides, fallen trees, rising waters in rivers, tornadoes over the sea are the usual headlines of news in Sochi. However, natural features do not prevent Krasnodar Region from being one of the leaders among the other regions of Russia in terms of investment amounts in construction. The fact is that you cannot build something on the Black Sea coast and live undisturbedly. You always need to think about protecting the facility. Aleksey Gerelis, the head of the separate division “South” of the “GEOIZOL Project” company in Krasnodar explained to the editorial staff of the “Geolnfo” journal why the current observations are not enough there, why proper observations are economically justified and why a unified system for monitoring geotechnical safety is needed. Our interlocutor was involved in monitoring transport interchanges and tunnels built for the XXII Olympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi. He is constantly engaged in diagnostics of landslide-prone areas where residential complexes will be built, of the construction and operation sites of federal and regional roads in Krasnodar Region.

Keywords: Krasnodar Territory; Greater Sochi; Black Sea coast of the Caucasus; hazardous geological processes; landslide- prone area; engineering protection of territories; rational solutions; economic effect; monitoring; unified monitoring system; interdepartmental state monitoring system.