The Negative Side of the Great Man-Made River of Libya

The Negative Side of the Great Man-Made River of Libya

Omar Ihwainish

Introduction

The Great Man-Made River of Libya is a supply of water to the Sahara Desert from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) via a network of pipes. Dubbed the 8th wonder of the world by Revolutionary Leader Gaddafi, and appearing in the Guinness World Records 2008 book  as the word’s largest irrigation system, the underground network of aqueducts has more than1300 wells – 500 m deep and supplies freshwater to the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi, Sirt and its environs. The Grand Omar Mukhtar reservoir project of false-color image was started in 1984 and its two initial phases completed in 1996 and to cost a total of more than 25 billion US$  (Loucks, 2004).

Negative impacts

Based on three major factors – agriculture, economy and environment, the GMMRP has more positive than negative impacts and it is clear that the project has achieved more positive outcomes with an increase in the overall green land area in the country (Zidan, 2007). Negative impacts can be traced back to 172 people dying during construction; aesthetically, the River gives the Grand Omar Mukhtar reservoir project a false-color image of dark blue waters residing in the upper right and at the bottom of the reservoir; vegetation appears red – not lush green as is of nature, city structures are grey while bare ground tan and beige, not natural colors of these features; Increase in total usage of agricultural chemicals owing to agriculture development and impacts of increased population on infrastructures.

Socio-economic impacts

Most basic infrastructure requires massive investment – and Libya has a least diversified economy mainly of oil and employment. There is a rise in unemployment level with increased population, importing 75% of its food as only 1% of its land arable. Sustainable agriculture is a major issue in this sector which yields one-fifth of employment and has a significant social influence. There is a severe water shortage as70% of the GMMR is intended for agriculture,28% domestic and 2% industries.

Impacts of the Great Man-Made River on the People of Libya and its Environs

The NSAS´ reserves lies under the Sahara Desert and beneath parts of Libya, Egypt, Chad and Sudan. While the quantity of useable groundwater is plentiful it is also irreplaceable because the fossil reserves are not an active part of the surrounding hydrological cycle, meaning that the water cannot be replenished. It can only be used once - much like oil (Robert and Alberte, 1989). Sudan and Egypt has always relied on the Nile River for the majority of their freshwater, but the Nile isn´t as abundant as it once was since more people, farms and industries have come to rely on it. Chad and Libya on the other hand do not have access to a major river like the Nile, and surface water resources in these arid regions are scarce and diminishing. As a result, each of the four countries has given top priority to the NSAS groundwater reserve for future demands and development planning. It is possible that sometime in the future the NSAS will run dry, making it increasingly important to manage the aquifer by understanding the dynamics of the groundwater system. Rapid population growth in both Libya and Egypt has already led to additional extraction from NSAS. Egypt needs to support the development of new cities in desert areas away from the Nile, and Libya will soon complete its "Great Man-Made River Project" to supply freshwater for Tripoli, the country´s capital.

References

IAEA (2010, March 22). Drip Irrigation: Getting More Out of Less . iaea.org. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from             Http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2010/dripirrigation.html

“H20 Know-How”. IAEA Bulletin. 47(1): 2005.

Loucks, Daniel P. (2004). The Great Man-Made River in Libya: Does it Make Sense?.        Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Cornell University, Presented    November 5, 2004

Robert, H, and Alberte, U. (1989). Transboundary Groundwater: The Bellagio Draft Treaty.         Natural Resources Journal. 29:11-16.

Zidan, A. M.  (2007). The Impact of the Great Man Made River Project on Libya’s

Agricultural Activities and the Environment. Malaysia: University Press,.