54. Case 50: Great Man Made River Water Supply Project, Libya

Libya’s Great Man-Made River project consists of a long term plan to supply the country’s water needs by drawing water from aquifers beneath the Sahara region and carry it through a network of huge underground pipes to the northern coastal belt. The Great Man Made River Authority (GMRA) project is one of the largest civil engineering projects in the world. The GMRA Water Supply project consists of five phases. The project duration is estimated to be 25 years. The total cost is estimated to be $27 billion according to 2004 estimate. This “Great Man Made River” project is the world’s largest irrigation project. Agriculture received a boost on account of this fresh water project. The government have made investments in seven big agricultural schemes. Libya has constructed this mega project without financial support from other countries or source of funding from financial institutions. The funding for the project was sources from fuel revenues and taxes on tobacco. The total cost estimated currently amount to more than $36 billion.