The great Man Made River of Libya is renowned as a great wonder in the world. It was really a great effort of the Libyan Government to provide water to most deserted places and also for increasing the fertility of arid regions.
About the history
For a long time, the supply of drinking water had been coming from some desalination plants on the sanctuary or from other underground aquifers. Sometimes, this water was of poor quality and was almost undrinkable; also there was a shortage of water to irrigate land for farming. During the 1960’s when an oil exploration was noticed in the Libyan Desert, vast reservoirs of better quality water were also discovered. Due to a geographical activity, The Mediterranean Sea flowed towards the bottom of the Mountains of Tibesti. This activity resulted in various sedimentary deposits on the level of the sea.
Decades ago, the climatic conditions of North Africa were moderate. During that time, there was a huge rainfall in the country. This excessive rainfall was permeated into absorbent rocks and was trapped between different layers resulting in various sources of fresh water.
The major issue was to bring this water to people. Under the leadership of Col Mohammad Al Quadaffi, Libyan people started thinking about the prospect of accessing this vast source of underground fresh water. At last in 1983, a special committee named the Great Man Made River Authority was formed. The major responsibility of this authority was to take the water sources from the south and utilize the water resources for drinking purpose as well as for irrigation of land. This project reached its final stage in 1983 when this good quality water was supplied to the homes and gardens of Tripoli. It was just like a miracle in the desert.
This river has helped a lot to increase the arable land in Libya. This man made river caries approximately five million cubic meter of water across the desert. Travelers will definitely be stunned to have the view of this “Great Man Made River”. The expected cost of this bigger project has exceeded USD 25 billion.
The major goal of this Man made river is to make Libya a source of farming abundance, capable to produce enough food and water for drinking. It should be able to fulfill the water needs of Libya and also the water needs of neighboring countries. Really, this huge water source has proved to be a landmark to increase the cultivated land of the country.
Now-a-days, the great man made river is bringing better quality drinking water to homes and is providing enough water for industrial, municipal and agricultural use. It has helped the Libyan inhabitants to retain self sufficiency by providing more agricultural land. This watercourse is also a live model of architectural skills and creativity of Libyan people.
This is a major tourist attraction of Libya, with millions of visitors from different parts of the country as well as from other nations like Egypt, Tunisia, Asian countries and various others. You must add this sightseeing place to your trip schedule if you are in Libya.