The pipe, laid under the sands, could serve as a tunnel for metro trains - its diameter is four meters.
The Arabian night is illuminated by the lights of the Al-Tevilah desalination plant on the shores of the Persian Gulf.
The “Great Artificial River”, “the eighth wonder of the world”, is the name given to the fresh water distribution system across Libya that came into operation last summer. This giant water supply is the largest engineering structure of our time, far surpassing in scale, for example, the Channel Tunnel. A system of huge pipelines covering an area equal to the entire area Western Europe, carries fresh water from underground sources from the south to the north of the country, to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, where populated areas are mainly concentrated.
In the 1960s, large reserves of oil and fresh water were discovered almost simultaneously in Libya, both deep underground. More precisely, under the sand of the Sahara. Two huge underground seas of pure fresh water have been discovered here. One extends under the territories of Libya, Egypt, Sudan and Chad (it is this basin with a volume of two-thirds of the Black Sea that is currently in use), the other under the territories of Libya, Tunisia and Algeria (the exploitation of these reserves in the project). Water accumulated underground 10 thousand years ago, when fertile savannas stretched out in place of the Sahara, irrigated by frequent rains and inhabited by elephants and giraffes. Then, about three thousand years ago, the planet's climate changed dramatically - the Sahara became a desert. But the water that seeped into the ground over thousands of years managed to accumulate in underground horizons.
Construction of the huge water pipeline began in 1983, and the main part was completed in 2001. Water enters it from 1,300 wells, many of them 500 meters deep or more, located over an area of 13,000 square kilometers. The total depth of these wells is 70 times the height of Everest. Through collector pipes, water flows into concrete pipes with a diameter of 4 meters, stretching for thousands of kilometers. Reservoirs with a capacity of 4-24 million cubic meters were built closer to the places of water consumption, and water supply systems of local cities and towns begin from them.
During the construction of the gigantic system, 155 million cubic meters of soil had to be removed and transferred (12 times more than when creating the Aswan Dam), and this in temperatures that at times reached 58 degrees Celsius. From the building materials used, it would be possible to build 16 Cheops pyramids. The concrete used for the pipes alone would be enough to pave the road from Tripoli to Bombay.
Water brought from the south of the country is used in the north for domestic and industrial needs, but 85-90 percent is used to irrigate fields. Up to six million cubic meters of water can be supplied per day. According to calculations, underground reserves will last for half a century, and during this time, experts hope, it will be possible to develop other options, such as desalination of sea water. True, geologists fear that as the underground layers become empty, the earth above them may begin to collapse. Will a huge hole form in the place of the desert in a few decades?
This is the largest engineering and construction project of our time, thanks to which the country's residents gained access to drinking water and were able to settle in areas where no one had ever lived before. Currently, 6.5 million cubic meters of fresh water flow through underground water pipelines every day, which is also used for the development of agriculture in the region. Read on to see how the construction of this grandiose facility took place.
The eighth wonder of the world
The total length of underground communications of the artificial river is close to four thousand kilometers. The volume of soil excavated and transferred during construction - 155 million cubic meters - is 12 times more than during the creation of the Aswan Dam. And the building materials spent would be enough to build 16 Cheops pyramids. In addition to pipes and aqueducts, the system includes over 1,300 wells, most of which are more than 500 meters deep. The total depth of the wells is 70 times the height of Everest. 
The main branches of the water pipeline consist of concrete pipes 7.5 meters long, 4 meters in diameter and weighing more than 80 tons (up to 83 tons). And each of over 530 thousand of these pipes could easily serve as a tunnel for subway trains.
From the main pipes, water flows into reservoirs built near cities with a volume of 4 to 24 million cubic meters, and from them the local water supply systems of cities and towns begin.
Fresh water enters the water supply system from underground sources located in the south of the country and feeds settlements, concentrated mainly off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, including Largest cities Libya - Tripoli, Benghazi, Sirte. The water is drawn from the Nubian Aquifer, which is the largest known source of fossil fresh water in the world.
The Nubian Aquifer is located in the eastern Sahara Desert over an area of more than two million square kilometers and contains 11 large underground reservoirs. The territory of Libya is located above four of them.
In addition to Libya, several other African states are located on the Nubian layer, including northwestern Sudan, northeastern Chad and most of Egypt. 
The Nubian aquifer was discovered in 1953 by British geologists while searching for oil fields. The fresh water in it is hidden under a layer of hard ferruginous sandstone from 100 to 500 meters thick and, as scientists have established, accumulated underground during the period when fertile savannas stretched in place of the Sahara, irrigated by frequent heavy rains.
Most of this water was accumulated between 38 and 14 thousand years ago, although some reservoirs formed relatively recently - around 5000 BC. When the planet's climate changed dramatically three thousand years ago, the Sahara became a desert, but the water that had seeped into the ground over thousands of years had already accumulated in underground horizons. 
After the discovery of huge reserves of fresh water, projects for the construction of an irrigation system immediately appeared. However, the idea was realized much later and only thanks to the Government of Muammar Gaddafi.
The project involved the creation of a water pipeline to deliver water from underground reservoirs from the south to the north of the country, to the industrial and more populated part of Libya. In October 1983, Project Management was created and funding began. The total cost of the project at the start of construction was estimated at $25 billion, and the planned implementation period was at least 25 years.
Construction was divided into five phases: the first - the construction of a pipe plant and a 1,200-kilometer-long pipeline with a daily supply of two million cubic meters of water to Benghazi and Sirte; the second is to bring pipelines to Tripoli and provide it with daily supplies of one million cubic meters of water; third - completion of the construction of a water pipeline from the Kufra oasis to Benghazi; the last two are the construction of the western branch to the city of Tobruk and the unification of the branches into a single system near the city of Sirte. 
The fields created by the Great Man-Made River are clearly visible from space: in satellite images they appear as bright green circles scattered among grey-yellow desert areas. In the photo: cultivated fields near the Kufra oasis.
Direct construction work began in 1984 - on August 28, Muammar Gaddafi laid the first stone of the project. The cost of the first phase of the project was estimated at $5 billion. The construction of a unique, world's first plant for the production of giant pipes in Libya was carried out by South Korean specialists in modern technologies.
Specialists from the world's leading companies from the USA, Turkey, Great Britain, Japan and Germany came to the country. Was purchased the latest technology. To lay concrete pipes, 3,700 kilometers of roads were built, allowing heavy equipment to move. As a basic unskilled work force migrant labor from Bangladesh, the Philippines and Vietnam was used. 
In 1989, water entered the Ajdabiya and Grand Omar Muktar reservoirs, and in 1991 - into the Al-Ghardabiya reservoir. The first and largest stage was officially opened in August 1991 - water supply to such major cities like Sirte and Benghazi. Already in August 1996, regular water supply was established in the capital of Libya, Tripoli. 
As a result, the Libyan government spent $33 billion on the creation of the eighth wonder of the world, and the financing was carried out without international loans or IMF support. Recognizing the right to water supply as a fundamental human right, the Libyan government did not charge the population for water.
The government also tried not to purchase anything for the project in the “first world” countries, but to produce everything necessary within the country. All materials used for the project were locally produced, and the plant, built in the city of Al-Buraika, produced more than half a million pipes with a diameter of four meters from prestressed reinforced concrete. 
Before the construction of the water pipeline began, 96% of Libya's territory was desert, and only 4% of the land was suitable for human life.
After the project was fully completed, it was planned to supply water and cultivate 155 thousand hectares of land.
By 2011, it was possible to establish supplies of 6.5 million cubic meters of fresh water to the cities of Libya, providing it to 4.5 million people. At the same time, 70% of the water produced by Libya was consumed in the agricultural sector, 28% by the population, and the rest by industry.
But the government’s goal was not only to fully provide the population fresh water, but also a reduction in Libya’s dependence on imported food, and in the future, the country’s entry into completely its own food production.
With the development of water supply, large agricultural farms were built to produce wheat, oats, corn and barley, which had previously only been imported. Thanks to watering machines connected to the irrigation system, circles of man-made oases and fields with a diameter ranging from several hundred meters to three kilometers have grown in the arid regions of the country. 
Measures were also taken to encourage Libyans to move to the south of the country, to the farms created in the desert. However, not all of the local population moved willingly, preferring to live in the northern coastal areas.
Therefore, the country's government turned to Egyptian peasants with an invitation to come to Libya to work. After all, the population of Libya is only 6 million people, while in Egypt there are more than 80 million, living mainly along the Nile. The water pipeline also made it possible to organize resting places for people and animals with water trenches (aryks) brought to the surface on the routes of camel caravans in the Sahara.
Libya has even begun supplying water to neighboring Egypt. 
Compared to Soviet irrigation projects implemented in Central Asia for the purpose of irrigating cotton fields, the man-made river project had a number of fundamental differences.
Firstly, to irrigate Libyan agricultural land, a huge underground source was used, rather than a surface and relatively small, compared to the volumes taken. As everyone probably knows, the result of the Central Asian project was the Aral environmental disaster.
Secondly, in Libya, water losses during transportation were eliminated, since delivery took place in a closed way, which eliminated evaporation. Devoid of these shortcomings, the created water supply system became an advanced system for supplying water to arid regions.
When Gaddafi first started his project, he became the object of constant ridicule from Western media. It was then that the derogatory stamp “dream in a pipe” appeared in the media of the States and Britain.
But 20 years later, in one of the rare materials dedicated to the success of the project, National Geographic magazine recognized it as “epoch-making.” By this time, engineers from all over the world were coming to the country to gain Libyan experience in hydraulic engineering.
Since 1990, UNESCO has provided assistance in supporting and training engineers and technicians. Gaddafi described the water project as “the strongest answer to America, which accuses Libya of supporting terrorism, saying that we are not capable of anything else.” 
Available fresh water resources have long been in the sphere of interests of transnational corporations. At the same time, the World Bank strongly supports the idea of privatizing fresh water sources, while at the same time doing its best to slow down water projects that dry countries are trying to implement on their own, without the involvement of Western corporations. For example, over the past 20 years, the World Bank and the IMF have sabotaged several projects to improve irrigation and water supply in Egypt, and blocked the construction of a canal on the White Nile in South Sudan.
Against this background, the resources of the Nubian aquifer are of enormous commercial interest to large foreign corporations, and the Libyan project does not seem to fit into the general scheme of private development of water resources.
Look at these numbers: the world's fresh water reserves, concentrated in the Earth's rivers and lakes, are estimated at 200 thousand cubic kilometers. Of these, Baikal (the largest freshwater lake) contains 23 thousand cubic kilometers, and all five Great Lakes contain 22.7 thousand. The reserves of the Nubian reservoir are 150 thousand cubic kilometers, that is, they are only 25% less than all the water contained in rivers and lakes.
At the same time, we must not forget that most of the planet’s rivers and lakes are heavily polluted. Scientists estimate the reserves of the Nubian Aquifer to be equivalent to two hundred years of flow of the Nile River. If we take the largest underground reserves found in sedimentary rocks under Libya, Algeria and Chad, then they will be enough to cover all these territories with 75 meters of water.
It is estimated that these reserves will be enough for 4-5 thousand years of consumption. 
Before the water pipeline was put into operation, the cost of desalted seawater purchased by Libya was $3.75 per ton. Construction own system water supply allowed Libya to completely abandon imports.
At the same time, the sum of all costs for the extraction and transportation of 1 cubic meter of water cost the Libyan state (before the war) 35 American cents, which is 11 times less than before. This was already comparable to the cost of cold tap water in Russian cities. For comparison: the cost of water in European countries is approximately 2 euros.
In this sense, the value of Libyan water reserves turns out to be much higher than the value of the reserves of all its oil fields. Thus, the proven oil reserves in Libya - 5.1 billion tons - at the current price of $400 per ton will amount to about $2 trillion.
Compare them with the cost of water: even based on the minimum 35 cents per cubic meter, Libyan water reserves amount to 10-15 trillion dollars (with a total cost of water in the Nubian layer of 55 trillion), that is, they are 5-7 times greater than all Libyan oil reserves . If we start exporting this water in bottled form, the amount will increase many times over.
Therefore, the assertions that the military operation in Libya was nothing more than a “war for water” have quite obvious grounds. 
In addition to the political risks outlined above, the Great Artificial River had at least two more. She was the first major project of this kind, so no one could predict with any certainty what would happen when the aquifers began to deplete. Concerns were expressed that the entire system would simply collapse under its own weight into the resulting voids, which would lead to large-scale ground failures in the territories of several African countries. On the other hand, it was unclear what would happen to the existing natural oases, since many of them were originally fed by underground aquifers. Today, at least the drying up of one of the natural lakes in the Libyan oasis of Kufra is associated precisely with overexploitation of aquifers.
But be that as it may, on this moment The artificial Libyan river is one of the most complex, most expensive and large engineering projects implemented by mankind, but grew out of the dream of one single person “to make the desert green, like the flag of the Libyan Jamahiriya.”
Modern satellite images show that after the bloody American-European aggression, the round fields in Libya are now quickly turning into desert again... 
Muammar Gaddaf launched the largest irrigation project in the world. Photo
Great man-made river
- this is one of the largest engineering projects of the ex-President of Libya Muammar Gaddafi, which he took up in the forty-second year of his rule. Gaddafi dreamed of providing fresh water to all of Libya and turning the desert into a green garden, making the country self-sufficient in food production. In order to make this dream a reality, Gaddafi ordered a large-scale engineering project, the essence of which was to build an extensive network that would bring fresh water to the dry areas of the country from ancient underground aquifers in the depths of the Sahara. Gaddafi named his project The eighth wonder of the world
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The Great Man-Made River in Libya is the world's largest irrigation project
Western media rarely mention the man-made river in Libya, using such descriptions as "vanity", "Gaddafi's pet project" and "a mad dog's pipe dream". But this does not change the essence, the Great Man-Made River is a fantastic water supply system that has radically changed the lives of Libyans throughout the country. Libya is one of the sunniest and driest countries in the world. There are places where there has been no rainfall for decades. Less than 5% of the country receives enough rainfall for settled agriculture. Most of Libya's water supply came from desalination plants on the coast, but this method of obtaining fresh water is too expensive.
Photo In 1953, while searching for new oil fields in southern Libya, geologists discovered gigantic reserves of fresh water in the desert, hidden deep in the bowels of the earth. A total of four huge basins were discovered with a volume ranging from 4,800 to 20,000 cubic kilometers. Most of this water accumulated 38,000-14,000 years ago, before the end of the last ice age, when this region of the Sahara had a temperate climate.
Photo In August 1984, Muammar Gaddafi laid the foundation stone for a pipe factory in Brega. From that moment on, the implementation of the Great Man-Made River project began. About 1,300 wells were dug in the desert, some up to 500 meters deep, to extract water. Through a network of underground pipes stretching 2,800 kilometers, water is distributed to 6.5 million people living in the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi, Sirte and other places. When the fifth and final phase of the project is completed, the pipe network will be 4,000 km long, allowing 155,000 hectares of land to be irrigated for cultivation. Even at the moment, the Great Man-Made River is world's largest irrigation project.
Photo In July 2011, NATO bombed a water pipeline near Brega and a pipe manufacturing plant. This led to disruption of water supply for almost 70% of the population. Currently, the country is still recovering from the civil war, so the future of the Great Man-Made River looks very vague.
Photo 
Photo Among the newest conspiracy theories about the actions of the US government, one of the loudest and most recent is the assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi not because of oil, but because of a grandiose irrigation project. The project was supposed to turn parched Africa into a prosperous continent, which is very unprofitable for those who make billions from the hunger and thirst of Africans.
For some reason, the construction of the Great Man-Made River in Libya has been deprived of media attention, despite the fact that this structure has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest irrigation project in the world since 2008. But what is important here is not the scale of the construction of the century, but the goals. After all, if the Libyan man-made river is completed, it will transform Africa from a desert into a fertile continent, the same as, for example, Eurasia or America. However, the whole problem is precisely in this very “if”...
In 1953, Libyans, trying to find sources of oil in the south of their country, discovered water: giant underground reservoirs feeding oases. Only a couple of decades later, the residents of Libya realized that they had fallen into their hands with a much greater treasure than black gold. From time immemorial, Africa has been a continent suffering from drought with sparse vegetation, but here literally under our feet there is about 35 thousand cubic kilometers of artesian water. With the appropriate volume, it is possible, for example, to completely flood the territory of Germany (357,021 square kilometers), and the depth of such a reservoir will be about 100 meters. If this water is released to the surface, it will turn Africa into a blooming garden!
This is precisely the idea that came to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Of course, because the territory of Libya is more than 95% desert. Under Gaddafi's patronage, a complex network of pipelines was developed that would deliver water from the Nubian Aquifer to the arid regions of the country. To implement this grandiose plan to Libya from South Korea specialists in modern technologies arrived. A plant for the production of reinforced concrete pipes with a diameter of four meters was launched in the city of Al-Buraika. On August 28, 1984, Muammar Gaddafi was personally present at the start of construction of the pipeline.
The eighth wonder of the world
The Great Man-Made River is not without reason called the largest irrigation project in the world. Some even consider it the largest engineering structure on the planet. Gaddafi himself called his creation the eighth wonder of the world. Now this network includes 1,300 wells 500 meters deep, four thousand kilometers of concrete pipes laid underground, a system of pumping stations, storage tanks, control and management centers. Every day, six and a half million cubic meters of water flow through the pipes and aqueducts of the man-made river, supplying the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi, Sirte, Gharyan and others, as well as the green fields in the middle of the former desert. In the future, the Libyans intended to irrigate 130-150 thousand hectares of cultivated land and, in addition to Libya, include others in this system African countries. Ultimately, Africa would not only cease to be a perpetually starving continent, but would even begin to export barley, oats, wheat and corn itself. The project was planned to be completed in 25 years, but...
Expulsion from Paradise
At the beginning of 2011, Libya was engulfed Civil War, and on October 20, Muammar Gaddafi died at the hands of the rebels. But there is an opinion that the real reason for the murder of the Libyan leader was his Great Man-Made River. Firstly, a number of major powers were engaged in supplying food to African countries. Of course, it is completely unprofitable for them to transform Africa from a consumer into a producer. Secondly, due to population growth on the planet, fresh water is becoming more abundant every year. valuable resource. Already there is a shortage drinking water experienced by many European countries. And here Libya has a source in its hands, which, according to experts, will be enough for the next four to five millennia.
Once, at the ceremonial completion of one of the stages of construction of the Great Man-Made River, Muammar Gaddafi said: “Now, after this achievement, US threats against Libya will double. The Americans will do everything to destroy our work and leave the people of Libya oppressed.” By the way, the heads of many African states were present at this celebration, and the leaders of the Black Continent supported Gaddafi’s initiative. Among them was Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Earlier this year, Mubarak was removed from his post as a result of the revolution that suddenly broke out in Egypt. Strange coincidence, isn't it? It is noteworthy that when NATO forces intervened in the Libyan conflict, in order to “protect civilians,” their aircraft attacked the branches of the Great River, pumping stations and destroyed a plant producing concrete pipes.
So, I think it is highly likely that the fight for oil is being replaced by another war - for water. And Gaddafi became the first victim of this war.
Evgenia KURLAPOVA
Mysteries of the 20th century No. 48 (Ukraine) 2011
River rafting is not only a sport, but also an excellent leisure activity. It is able to raise the adrenaline to its peak and at the same time is an unforgettable vacation.
In Russia, rafting is practiced in mountainous areas, because there is not a single artificial route built for this purpose. Abroad, however, the situation is different. Here are four man-made rivers that are perfect for rafting enthusiasts.
The Eiskanal was the first artificial river in the world created for rafting. It was built in 1972 for summer Olympic Games in Munich. Its bed, lined with cement, is used today for fans of this sport. Recently, the world kayak slalom championship has been held here.
The second artificial watercourse in Europe was Ondrej Cibak Whitewater in Slovakia. This canal harnesses the power of the water from a dam on the Vah River, the second largest in the country. Like its rival in Germany, this stretch of water has its own spectator stands and hosts many kayaking competitions.
One of the largest urban fast rivers, can be found in Columbus, in American state Georgia. The path of lively water runs right through the city center and stretches for four kilometers. It offers daily rafting excursions for beginners and families alike.
The watercourse, almost 250 meters long, is open to everyone, regardless of experience level. Although it is of very short length, an artificial river can provide thrill, since the flow rate can be changed by simply pressing a button. In addition, there is a school where people can learn all the secrets of rafting, this extreme sport.
