Western newspapers described it as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" and ranked it among the largest projects in history, while Libyans referred to it as the "Lifeline of the Nation." This massive project spans thousands of kilometers, transferring water from the south to the north to irrigate land and provide water to the people. It came at a cost of $25 billion and took many years of hard work, with significant risks along the way.
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| Great man-made River in libya |
Muammar Gaddafi saw it as his dream project, while the opposition called it a project of pride. With Gaddafi gone, the entire project has been threatened, and there are times when the flow of water is disrupted due to ongoing dangers.
The Great Man-Made River in Libya: A Blessing or a Show?
The story traces back to the 1950s when oil companies began searching for black gold in southern Libya. For decades, Libya had been known for its population being concentrated in the northern regions, which also had the most fertile agricultural lands. However, these areas lacked freshwater, as they had no groundwater or rivers. During oil exploration, the true treasure for Libyans was discovered—massive amounts of groundwater in the Kufra region in the southeastern desert of the country.
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| "Here Flows the Lifeline: The Great Man-Made River" |
This water reservoir was ancient, estimated to be between 10,000 and one million years old. Analyses indicated that the water had seeped into the sandstone before the end of the last ice age, when the desert region enjoyed a more temperate climate. The Libyan government initially planned large-scale agricultural projects in the heart of the desert, but nothing materialized. Over the years, the water scarcity in northern Libya worsened, prompting Gaddafi to launch what he called his dream project, which he believed would immortalize his people's revolution.
In the 1980s, Gaddafi faced several options: desalinate seawater, which would cost $270 per cubic meter; build new cities in the water-rich south; or transfer water from the south to the north. Reports indicated that transporting water would be the least expensive option. In August 1984, Gaddafi laid the foundation stone for the project he named "The Great Man-Made River."
The river consists of 1,300 wells, most of which are about 500 meters deep, and pipes extending 4,000 kilometers from the southeast and southwest to the north, transferring 6.5 million cubic meters of water daily to major cities such as Zawiya, Tripoli, Benghazi, Tobruk, Sirte, and Ajdabiya. The Great Man-Made River Authority, established by the government to manage the project, began phase one in the same year. Hundreds of wells were drilled in the "Tazerbo" and "Sarir" fields, and water was pumped from about 500 meters below ground through a twin pipeline to a reservoir in Ajdabiya, which received its first water in 1989. From there, water was pumped west to the coastal city of Sirte and north to Benghazi [source].
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| Map of Libya, showing the Tazirbi and Al-Sarir fields and how water is distributed |
The first phase was officially celebrated in Benghazi in 1991, and at that time, the river was capable of transporting 2 million cubic meters of water per day through 1,600 kilometers of pipeline. The second phase, completed in 1996, brought water to the capital, Tripoli. The third phase was not completed until 2009, and the fourth phase remains unfinished to this day.
This colossal project set several world records, being the largest water transfer project on the planet. The pipes used to transport the water were the largest in the world, specially designed and produced in two factories built in Libya for this purpose. Each pipe is 4 meters in diameter and 7 meters long, placed in trenches 7 meters deep. The construction was carried out by a South Korean company, with British designers laying out the plans. The workforce was entirely Libyan, and the entire project was funded from Libya’s treasury without external loans or support.
The figures are staggering: the amount of cement used in the production of the pipes reached 5 million tons, enough to pave a concrete road from the Libyan city of Sirte to Mumbai, India. Despite the massive publicity Gaddafi managed to generate for the project and the delivery of some water to cities, the reality was quite different. Although the project cost $25 billion, Libya continued to rely on other water sources even before Gaddafi's fall. This raised questions about the project's importance and its value relative to its cost, especially as citizens still had less than 1,000 cubic meters of water per person—below the water poverty line.
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| River Industrial Corporation in Libya |
After the start of the Libyan revolution, one of the two factories responsible for producing the pipes was hit by a NATO airstrike in July 2011, with claims that Gaddafi was using the factory as a weapons storage site. This significantly set back the project’s water supply lines. The project then fell into the hands of ISIS, which caused further damage. At various times, the project was also targeted by different factions for theft or as leverage to pressure rival groups.
But the problems didn’t start with the revolution. As early as 2000, cracks began to appear in the project, which was the most expensive in the world at the time. Despite $10 billion having been spent by then, the project was incomplete and only two of the four branches were operational. One of the branches functioned at only 20% capacity, while the other suffered frequent leaks. Those managing the project built large ponds at the leak sites, claiming they were reservoirs for local residents, despite some being located in the middle of the desert.
Reports also indicated that the groundwater being transported would not last forever and would eventually dry up, as it is non-renewable. Gaddafi had claimed it would last for centuries, yet the Great Man-Made River remains Libya's greatest hope for survival in the face of looming drought. In the post-Gaddafi era, the massive project continues to face threats, and significant efforts will be needed to protect this lifeline and secure water for future generations.