Author(s)

S. Alamin, A. Fewkes & S. Goodhew

Abstract

Libya is known to suffer from water shortages due to its location in desert and semi-desert terrains. The population is growing in Libya and because of the continuing reliance on groundwater supplies; a strain has been placed on this water resource. As a consequence, levels of underground water are decreasing, making it difficult and costly to extract. The problem has been made worse by the shortage of rainfall experienced in Libya in recent years. The threat to water resources has brought into focus the urgent need for planned action to manage water resources effectively as it is widely acknowledged that water is a major limiting factor in the socio-economic development of the country with a rapidly expanding population. The paper collates data from various sources to provide an overview of water use in the case study area of Alwahat which demonstrates the need to develop a sustainable water management strategy. Keywords: sustainability, water management, irrigation, produced water, water policy, water users. 1 Introduction Water covers two thirds of the earth’s surface, but 97% of it is unfit for human use. Of the remaining 3% two thirds are locked up in glaciers and snow. Approximately 1% is available for human consumption [1]. This residual amount should be enough to satisfy the needs of all water consumers in the world, but this is not the case [2]. The reasons for this are related the temporal and spacial variations in the availability of rainfall. Our misconduct and waste of the available water resources has complicated matters further. Human beings could hardly do anything to overcome the first barrier. However, with suitable and sensible water management we can rectify the second. Sustainable water

Keywords

sustainability, water management, irrigation, produced water, water policy, water users