On Sunday, the Commander of the Libyan National Army, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, met with Saad Boumatari, Chairman of the Great Man-Made River Project (GMMRP), to discuss critical strategies for enhancing the flow of water to cities across Libya.
The meeting underscored the crucial importance of maintaining and improving the country’s water infrastructure amid rising challenges.
Haftar and Boumatari reviewed the current status of the GMMRP, a monumental project that serves as the backbone of Libya’s water supply, channeling vital resources to the nation’s arid regions.
They discussed the technical and operational challenges that have been affecting the project, with a focus on implementing precise, strategic measures to ensure the system’s continued efficiency and reliability.
The discussions centered on the future actions that the GMMRP intends to take to improve water distribution across Libya, addressing the increasing demands of both urban and rural communities. These steps are essential as the country navigates a complex environment marked by political instability and growing resource needs.
Haftar emphasized the importance of protecting the water infrastructure, stressing the necessity of responsible water management to ensure long-term sustainability. He highlighted that the effective operation and security of the Great Man-Made River are vital for maintaining Libya’s water supply and, by extension, its national stability.
The Great Man-Made River Project is one of the world’s largest and most ambitious engineering undertakings, often referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Launched in the 1980s under the leadership of Muammar Gaddafi, the project was designed to transport fresh water from ancient underground aquifers deep beneath the Sahara Desert to Libya’s northern cities, where the majority of the population lives.
This vast network of pipelines supplies water to major urban centers such as Tripoli, Benghazi, and Sirte, supporting agriculture, industry, and everyday life in one of the most water-scarce regions on the planet.
