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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 supply
of 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
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