Water Scarcity in LibyaAdam Niznik

About Libya

• About 95 percent of the country is desert.

• Only 1.2 percent of the total area of the country is cultivable.

• About 93 percent of the land surface receives less than 100 mm of rain per year.

Libya Needs Water

• Libya is fifth on the list of the most water scarce countries on Earth.

Where do they get their water?

• Nearly all of Libya’s water is fossil water, or groundwater that has remained sealed in an aquifer for a long period of time.

Why is it called Fossil Water?

• Fossil Water rests underground in "fossil aquifers" for thousands or even millions of years, just like a fossil.

Nubian Sandstone Aquifer

Libya’s source of fossil water comes from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer, one of the most notable fossil water reserves

Why doesn’t Libya have water?

• Libya has an increasing demand for fresh water, while fossil groundwater supply is limited.

• This situation of water supply has become more problematic with rapidly increasing population and low rainfall.

Effects of Water Scarcity

• Only very certain areas of the country are cultivable, approximately 1.2 percent, so Libyans can only live in the areas on top of the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer to farm and get their water.

Solutions to Water Scarcity

• Libya can review agricultural water policies in order to minimize some local deficits in water resources and to avoid a deterioration in water quality in the coastal areas.

Solutions Contd.

• Multiple desalination plants have been constructed, however, restrictions have been imposed by the high cost of energy and spare parts and they are mainly used for industrial purposes. If some of the plants are converted to be for the common citizens of Libya, the scarcity would be decreased some.

Sources

http://www.springerlink.com/content/b1qv0273kt42p4l6/

http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/countries_regions/libya/index.stm

http://growingblue.com/case-studies/the-nubian-sandstone-aquifer/