Al Gaddafi | The Great Man Made River - Phase 1

The Great Man Made River - Phase 1

Great Man Made River Project

The Great Man-Made River Project

Libya’s Lifeline Beneath the Desert

Welcome to the official page dedicated to one of the greatest civil engineering achievements of the modern era — The Great Man-Made River (GMMR).

Born from the vision of Muammar Al Gaddafi, the GMMR was designed to unlock Libya’s ancient underground water reserves and bring fresh, clean water from deep beneath the Sahara to the coastal cities, farmlands, and communities of Libya. This monumental project has been described by engineers, environmentalists, and world leaders alike as "the largest irrigation project in the world."

With over 1,600 wells, stretching more than 4,000 kilometers of buried pipelines, the GMMR became a symbol of self-reliance, sovereignty, and sustainable development — built without loans or Western corporate control.

This website explores the history, science, and legacy of this visionary project — a lifeline that still serves millions today, despite years of conflict and sabotage.

Stages of the industrial river

The first phase

Contain the first stage on the two systems of pipes the first stretch of Tazrbu to Sellouk and the second from the bed to the Sirte included the system first drilling (120) wells and D (800) kilometers of pipes of Tazrbu to Benghazi and produces field Tazrbu million cubic meters of water per day exploit (98 ) wells and the rest is just a precaution.

Of the bed start system pipes the following which contains the collection network strength (126) wells of which is used (113) and the remaining reserves of the bed starts the flow of million cubic meters of water per day in two parallel lines to the tank Ajdabiya then Ajdabiya heading another branch of the system holds ( 1.18) million cubic meters of water east to Benghazi and another branch heading west towards the city of Sirte carries (820) thousand cubic meters of water.

PHASES I AND II

The first and largest phase, providing 2 million m³/day along a 1,200km pipeline from As-Sarir and Tazerbo to Benghazi and Sirt, via the Ajdabiya reservoir, was formally inaugurated in August 1991. This was a massive undertaking, using a quarter of a million sections of concrete pipe, 2.5 million t of cement, 13 million t of aggregate, 2 million km of pre-stressed wire and requiring 85 million m³ of excavation, for a finished cost of $14 billion.

The Tazerbo wellfield consists of both production and piezometric observation wells and yields around 1 million m³/day at a rate of 120L/s per well. Only 98 of the 108 production wells are used, with the others on stand-by. A collection network conveys the water to a 170,000m³ off-line steel header tank. From here, the main conveyance system is routed 256km to the north, to two similar header tanks at Sarir, where the second Phase I wellfield is located. A further 1 million m³ is produced here, using 114 of the 126 production wells, at an average flow rate of 102L/s per well. The wells at both Tazerbo and Sarir are about 450m deep and are equipped with submersible pumps at a depth of 145m.

From Sarir, two parallel, 4m-diameter pipelines convey the now chlorine-treated water to the 4 million m³ Ajdabiya holding reservoir, 380km to the north. The water flows from this 900m-diameter reservoir through two pipelines, one heading west to Sirt and the other north to Benghazi.

📊 Facts & Figures, Page Links

Project Name: Great Man-Made River (GMMR)
Initiated by: Muammar Al Gaddafi
Start Date: Officially launched in 1984

🛠️ Timeline of Construction Phases

📍 Phase I (1984–1991)

Scope: Transfer of water from As-Sarir and Tazerbo wells to Benghazi and Sirte
Infrastructure: 1,600 km of pipeline
Storage: Construction of large reservoirs like Omar Mukhtar Reservoir

📍 Phase II (1991–1996)

Scope: Supply of water from Fezzan (southern Libya) to the Western coastal belt including Tripoli
Pipelines: Roughly 1,300 km
Built to serve: Capital Tripoli and surrounding areas

📍 Phase III (1997–2000s)

Goal: Link the eastern and western systems and expand connections to more towns
Integration: Unified water grid across major urban and agricultural zones

📍 Phase IV and V (2000s–2011)

Enhancements: Construction of additional pipelines, pumping stations, and reservoirs
Status: Partially completed due to NATO bombing in 2011, which damaged GMMR facilities and halted work

The Great Man-Made River (GMMR) – Libya’s Forgotten Engineering Wonder

Often referred to as “the eighth wonder of the world,” the Great Man-Made River (GMMR) was one of Muammar Al Gaddafi’s most ambitious and visionary projects — a massive underground water system designed to bring fresh water from the Saharan desert aquifers to Libyan cities and farmlands.

This vast, self-funded infrastructure project transformed arid land into productive farmland and provided clean drinking water to millions, without foreign debt or Western control.

Though heavily damaged and forgotten after the 2011 NATO-backed war, its legacy stands as a powerful symbol of African self-reliance and visionary engineering.

You can explore more about this incredible project via the archived official website below:

🔗 Archived GMMR Website (via Web Archive)

📌 Note: For best viewing, please use a desktop or laptop device, as the archived website layout may not be mobile-friendly.

Content & PDF

Working on more content!

Re-building this great project website

GreatManMadeRiver-Project-other-info-Ef-Iiuxahx5hYR3ZgcGbZA.pdf 222.79 KB

Other Gaddafi Pages

You will discover a comprehensive collection of speeches and initiatives presented by Muammar Al Gaddafi. This extensive compilation offers valuable insights into his political philosophy, leadership style, and the various initiatives he proposed during his time. Explore these significant works to gain a deeper understanding of his impact and contributions.