water usage

water usage PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 31 October 2008 23:50

The expanding economy and growing population along the fertile coastal strip of the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya is creating an increasing demand for water for irrigation, for industry and for domestic and municipal use. At the same time, the traditional water resources are becoming increasingly at risk through intensive use which is resulting in saline intrusion of the coastal aquifer. This phenomenon would, if unchecked, turn agricultural lands into infertile sabkha.With the realization of the Great Man-made River Project, an economic and plentiful new source of fresh water is being made available. This will reduce extraction of water from the coastal aquifer, as agriculture ceases to be dependent on existing water wells. The new source of water will, therefore, protect and enhance the fertility of the soil.Total amount of water conveyed by the Great Man Made River Project will be over 6.0 million cubic meters per day or approximately 2,100 million cubic meters per year and will be allocated as follows:


 
  




Over 70 per cent of the water delivered by the Great Man Made River is intended for agricultural development and it is expected that 130,000 hectares of agricultural land will be developed. To optimize the development of agricultural land, a water storage and distribution plan has been adopted. The plan aims to maintain a constant supplyof water throughout the year through the use of large storage reservoirs, which will meet fluctuating demands. In addition State of the art irrigation techniques are being used to minimize losses.The agricultural development plan aims to realise the highest possible rate of self-sufficiency in grain and fodder crops, achieve food security, increase the capital investment and job opportunities in the agricultural sector, produce raw materials for the food processing industry, encourage and support agricultural settlement and enhance foreign investment opportunities in agriculture.Investment opportunities are available in the agricultural sectors where up to 20,000 hectares of the large farms are being offered for foreign investment within the framework of the general policy of the state and the objectives of economical and social development.    For more details  visit The Great Man Made River Water Utilization Authority GMRWUA