Irrigation Development in Libya: Review and Assessment

This Chapter provides an overview of the history and perspective of irrigation development in Libya. The country faces water scarcity due to a shortage of water resources and increased demand for industrial, domestic, and agriculture expansion. The absence of maintenance programs for irrigation systems has resulted in low efficiency and early corrosion of tools. This issue has hindered the expansion of agriculture, leading to productivity losses and impacting development in irrigated lands. The Chapter evaluates the development of irrigation in Libya from the 1960s to the 2010s, including the challenges faced by agricultural irrigation in the country. Proposed solutions for improving irrigation water management and raising standards in this sector are presented, based on an extensive review of relevant studies, technical reports, and papers on water, irrigation, soil, and agriculture. The Chapter concludes that improving irrigation systems in Libya is crucial for agriculture and food security. To achieve this, necessary financial and technical resources must be provided, human capacities in irrigation must be developed, and technical information and specialized scientific references must be accessible to raise the level of performance and stay updated with scientific and technical developments in designing and evaluating irrigation networks. Finally, the Chapter presents several measures that may contribute to the advancement of the agricultural irrigation sector in Libya.