The Sahara Desert has been a source of water for Libya through the extraction of water from over 630 wells located in the desert’s interior. This water is transferred through pipes spanning thousands of kilometers to large reservoirs, including agricultural land and cities in northern Libya, such as Benghazi, Tripoli, and some cities in the Mount Nafusa region. The Industrial River Project achieved 100% completion in phases I and II, and in phase III, the completion rate was 80% for the feeding of cities in the western part of Libya, from Ghadames to Zawara. The Industrial River is now Libya’s first water resource at 70%, and the management of the river project believes that it will continue to serve the country for thousands of years.
Ahmed Adeeb, Chairman of the Management Committee of the Industrial River Apparatus, said, “Mathematical models were conducted through the Joint Expertise Houses with the Industrial River Apparatus, and it was discovered that these aquifers all possess enormous water potential, reaching about thousands of years of water.”
Approximately 2,900 Libyan workers work to pump 3.5 million cubic meters of water per day into cities. However, due to infringements on wells and supply lines, this capacity has decreased to 2 million cubic meters per day, prompting security agencies to campaign against saboteurs.
Ali Al-Hibshi, Director of the Operation and Maintenance Department of the Gharyan River System, said, “Breakdowns in the industrial river caused by attacks and illegal connections caused a lot of technical problems for the valves, and took a great effort from engineers and technicians.”
Abdualah Adeeb, a major in the agricultural police, said, “Corruption in the reservoir, I mean the theft of the reservoir, the theft of valves and doors, and the entire headquarters was stolen by the militias. But thank God, since our mandate to secure the Gharyan reservoir, the situation has improved.”
The industrial river has not only pumped water into cities but also into agricultural land, where thousands of hectares have been reclaimed. The water from the river is also used to irrigate agricultural crops via distillation, to conserve water.
During the search for oil, some American companies discovered groundwater, which was extracted from the subsoil and added to the industrial river water. Some specialists have been studying the underground water sources for nearly 4,000 years.
The construction of the industrial river was contributed to by several international companies. The executing company was Korean, and the pumps and machinery were manufactured by German companies. The executing company continued to operate the project and train Libyans to work for two years before handing over the project to its management.
The industrial river was designed to transport 6 million cubic meters of water per day, with 60% for agricultural projects, 30% for drinking water, and the remaining 10% for industrial projects. However, due to high population density, most of the water is used in cities for drinking.
The first phase of the project was the diversion of water from the bedsit area to northeastern cities of Libya, such as Ajdabiya and Benghazi. The second phase involved the transfer of water from al-Hasawna wells to western cities of Libya, including Misrata, Tripoli, Tarhuna, Beni Walid, and Gharyan.
The river project was discontinued after the revolution in 2011, and several premises and instruments were stolen.