On Tuesday, a senior official from Libya’s National Meteorological Center raised an urgent alarm about the fragile state of the country’s dams and valleys, warning of a potential disaster if immediate repairs are not undertaken.
Khaled Al-Fadhli, Head of Studies at the center, highlighted that years of neglect and damage from previous storms have left Libya’s crucial infrastructure at serious risk of failure.
In press statements, Al-Fadhli explained that the Meteorological Center is operating with outdated equipment and limited resources, making it difficult to monitor and respond effectively to the growing threats posed by extreme weather.
He emphasized the urgent need to modernize weather monitoring systems and repair the damaged dams across Libya, many of which have not been maintained in decades.
The dire warning follows the catastrophic flooding in September 2023, when Storm Daniel struck eastern Libya.
The collapse of two dams near the city of Derna unleashed a torrent of water that devastated large parts of the city, claiming thousands of lives. This tragedy has prompted the Meteorological Center to issue early warning bulletins about the state of the country’s dams and their ability to handle future heavy rainfall.
Al-Fadhli stressed that while early warnings are vital, they are insufficient without urgent action to repair the aging dams.
The dams were built decades ago, and some suffered significant damage during earlier storms, but necessary repairs were never completed. This neglect has left the country vulnerable to further disasters, especially as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.
Libya’s vulnerability to natural disasters is growing, with climate change exacerbating the risks of heavy rainfall and flooding. The combination of neglected infrastructure, political instability, and limited resources makes the situation even more dangerous.
The 2023 floods in Derna were a stark reminder that the country is unprepared for such events. Despite the allocation of funds for dam repairs in the past, the work has remained incomplete, leaving critical flood defenses weakened.
The collapse of the Derna dams stands as a tragic example of what can happen when infrastructure is neglected. As the world faces the growing impacts of climate change, Libya’s ability to defend against natural disasters will depend on its commitment to modernizing its infrastructure and strengthening disaster preparedness.
