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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Utilisation of groundwater in Jebel el Akhdar, north-east Libya, as a basis of agricultural improvement with special emphasis on the El Marj Plain |
Author: | Bukechiem, A.A. |
Year: | 1993 |
Periodical: | Libyan Studies |
Volume: | 24 |
Pages: | 121-142 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Libya |
Subjects: | water irrigation |
Abstract: | This paper discusses the hydroagricultural development limitations of northeast Libya, which is considered to warrant close attention in the country's long-term agricultural plan. The critical criteria for regional agricultural development are water and heat. The Jebel el Akhdar region of northeast Libya has a semiarid climate with a marked water shortage except in the winter months. In the paper estimates are made of the runoff which offsets the dry spring and summer and of the storage in the aquifers. Attention is paid to the stratigraphy and water-bearing characteristics of Jebel el Akhdar; surface water; evapotranspiration; infiltration in El Marj Plain; underground water; the groundwater balance; the present water policy in the area; and the chemistry of the area's underground water. The water level records in such regions as El Marj confirm a gradual and regular lowering of the water level in the main aquifer. The associated rise of the salt water/fresh water interface is alarming. Measures must be taken to reduce water use and to improve irrigation techniques. Bibliogr. |