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 gigantic 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 4 meters in diameter, 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 goes 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 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?

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 water power of 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 the US state of Georgia. The path of lively water runs right through the city center and stretches for four kilometers. It offers daily rafting boat excursions for beginners and entire families.

The watercourse, almost 250 meters long, is open to everyone, regardless of experience level. Although it is very short in length, an artificial river can provide a thrill as the flow speed 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.

For some reason, the construction of the Great Man-Made River in Libya was 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”...

WATER INSTEAD OF OIL

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 drought-stricken continent 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 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 arrived modern technologies. A production plant was launched in the city of Al-Buraika reinforced concrete pipes four meters in diameter. 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 greenery in the middle former desert fields. In the future, the Libyans intended to irrigate 130-150 thousand hectares of cultivated land and, in addition to Libya, include other African countries in this system. 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...

EXILEMENT FROM PARADISE

The desert stretches 4,000 kilometers underground pipes

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 the growing population on the planet, fresh water is becoming an increasingly valuable resource every year. Many European countries are already experiencing a shortage of drinking water. 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.

Mubarak was also 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 struck precisely on the sleeves Great River , pumping stations and destroyed a factory producing concrete pipes. So, I think, with a high probability we can assume that the struggle for oil is being replaced by another war for water. And Gaddafi became the first victim of this war.

artificial river

An artificial channel filled with water, arranged in the ground for a navigable connection between individual bodies of water, as well as for water supply, irrigation, and drainage of swamps

Narrow passage for ships in a bay, strait, or in ice

A narrow, long hollow space inside something, usually in the form of a pipe or tube

Separate television and radio broadcasting line

An organ or a set of such organs in the shape of a pipe or tube through which certain substances pass (in the human body, animal body)

The path of passage of any signals to organs, devices

Communication line

water road

Path, method, means of achieving, implementing, distributing something

In Asia, the synonym is aryk

In cybernetics - a set of devices designed to transmit information

Venetiansky passage

Internal cavity of the barrel

Hydraulic structure

An artificial channel (water conduit) with free-flowing water movement, usually located in the ground

Film by Polish film director Andrzej Wajda

A narrow, long, hollow space inside something

TV show receptacle

. “I was built by machines, I can shorten the path even from drought, like a warrior, a forest and a field on the shore” (riddle)

Film by Bernardo Bertolucci

An artificially created reservoir named after Moscow

Road for the gondolier

Painting by French painter Alfred Sisley

. "channel" of communication

. "street" of Venice

Man-made river

A man-made river, usually connecting two non-man-made rivers

Television cell

Television division

Belomor-...

Venice "track"

Suez...

Any device for transmitting information

Artificial channel filled with water

Panamanian or Suez

White Sea-Baltic...

Divides Panama into parts

Suez via Egypt

Divides Panama

Water street of Venice

Suez or NTV

. "highway" for gondola

Venice "street"

. "channel" called NTV or ORT

VolgoBalt

Communication line

Groove in the barrel of a weapon

. "channel" for the flow of information

Panamanian...

What you switch with the TV remote control

Venice "street"

. gondolier track

What we switch with the TV remote control

Electromagnetic waveguide

TV line

Diplomatic line of communication

Volgo-Baltic...

The volcano's mouth and the "street" of Venice

. gondolier's "road"

Television "channel"

Irrigation River

Home of the dental nerve

Panama divided

The ditch is essentially

. "river" for irrigation

. "river" between the Americas

. "river" connecting rivers

Venetian Avenue

Trench for water flow

Irrigation...

Artificial riverbed

A set of devices designed to transmit information

The Great Man-Made River, the most ambitious project of the Libyan Jamahiriya, is a network of water pipelines supplying waterless areas and the northern industrial part of Libya with the purest water. drinking water from underground reservoirs of oases located in the southern part of the country. According to independent experts, this is the world's largest engineering project currently existing. The little-known nature of the project is explained by the fact that the Western media practically did not cover it, and yet the project has surpassed the world's largest construction projects in cost: the project cost is $25 billion.

Gaddafi began work on the project back in the 80s, and by the time the current hostilities began, it was practically implemented. Let us especially note: not a cent of foreign money was spent on the construction of the system. And this fact is definitely thought-provoking, because control over water resources is becoming an increasingly significant factor in world politics. Isn't the current war in Libya the first war for drinking water? After all, there really is something to fight for! The functioning of the man-made river is based on drawing water from 4 huge water reservoirs located in the oases of Hamada, Kufra, Morzuk and Sirt and containing approximately 35,000 cubic meters. kilometers of artesian water! Such a volume of water could completely cover the territory of a country such as Germany, while the depth of such a reservoir would be about 100 meters. And according to latest research, the water from Libyan artesian springs will last for almost 5,000 years.

In addition, this water project in its scale can rightly be called the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, since it transports 6.5 million cubic meters of water through the desert per day, which amazingly increases the area of ​​irrigated desert land. The man-made river project is completely incomparable to what was carried out by Soviet leaders in Central Asia to irrigate its cotton fields and which led to the Aral disaster. Fundamental difference Libyan irrigation project is that a practically inexhaustible underground rather than surface water source is used to irrigate agricultural land, which is easily subject to significant damage in a short period of time. Water transport occurs in a closed way through the use of 4 thousand kilometers steel pipes, buried deep in the ground. Water from artesian basins is pumped through 270 shafts from a depth of several hundred meters. One cubic meter crystal clean water from Libyan underground reservoirs, taking into account all the costs of its extraction and transportation, cost the Libyan state only 35 cents, which is approximately comparable to the cost of a cubic meter cold water in a large Russian city, for example Moscow. If we take into account the cost of a cubic meter of drinking water in European countries(about 2 euros), then the value of artesian water reserves in Libyan underground reservoirs is, according to rough estimates, almost 60 billion euros. Agree that such a volume of a resource that continues to grow in price may be of much more serious interest than oil.

Before the war, the man-made river irrigated about 160,000 hectares, which were actively developed under Agriculture. And to the south, in the Sahara, ditches brought to the surface serve as watering places for animals. And most importantly, drinking water was provided big cities countries, in particular the capital Tripoli.

Here important dates in the Libyan irrigation project “Great Man-Made River”, recognized in 2008 by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest in the world:
October 3, 1983 - The General People's Congress of the Libyan Jamahiriya was convened and an emergency session was held, at which the start of funding for the project was announced.
August 28, 1984 - The leader of Libya lays the first stone in the starting building of the project.
August 26, 1989 - Second phase of construction begins irrigation system.
September 11, 1989 - water entered the reservoir in Ajdabiya.
September 28, 1989 - water entered the Grand Omar Muktar reservoir.
September 4, 1991 - water enters the Al-Ghardabiya reservoir.
August 28, 1996 - regular water supply to Tripoli begins.
September 28, 2007 - water appeared in the city of Garyan.

Due to the fact that countries neighboring Libya, including Egypt, suffer from a lack of water resources, it is quite logical to assume that the Jamahiriya with its water project was quite capable of significantly expanding its influence in the region, starting a green revolution in neighboring countries, and figuratively , and in the literal sense of the word, since by irrigating North African fields, most food problems in Africa would be solved very quickly, providing the countries of the region with economic independence. And corresponding attempts took place. Gaddafi actively encouraged Egyptian peasants to come and work in the fields of Libya.

The Libyan water project has become a real slap in the face to the entire West, because both the World Bank and the US State Department are promoting only projects that are beneficial to them, such as the project for desalinization of sea water in Saudi Arabia, the cost of which is $4 per cubic meter of water. Obviously, the West benefits from water scarcity - this keeps its price high.

It is noteworthy that, speaking at the celebration of the anniversary of the start of construction of the river, on September 1 last year, Gaddafi said: “Now that this achievement of the Libyan people has become obvious, the US threat against our country will double!” In addition, several years ago, Gaddafi stated that the Libyan irrigation project would be “the most serious response to America, which constantly accuses Libya of sympathizing with terrorism and living on petrodollars.” A very eloquent fact was the support for this project and former president Egypt Mubarak. And this is probably not a mere coincidence.