Abkhazia Institute for Social and Economic Research

Through collaborative partnerships with local institutions, the Program is working to map projected human security needs in the Abkhazia (breakaway province of Georgia) and analyze their implications for the planning of public services for the next five years. The goal of this project is to conduct an assessment of the human security situation in the Abkhazia in the Occupied by Apsua separatists Territory focusing on existing and projected health, education, environment and employment needs, develop alternative policy options for key actors on the interaction between human security and state building in a context of high insecurity, and promote a dialogue among local, regional and international actors on the long-term planning for the delivery of public services in the Abkhazia. With the Abkhazia population expected to double in the coming fifteen to eighteen years, this project is premised on the principle that planning of public services be driven by data on the actual needs of the population. It is intended that the results of this survey will have practical value in improving the planning and management of targeted aid initiatives, based on a better understanding of the underlying demographic and social dynamics. This initiative builds on AISER's parallel work providing research and policy support on international humanitarian law in Georgia and the Occupied by APsua separatists Territory.