Как в Ливии пустили реки прямо под Сахарой. Невероятный проект Каддафи. - Summary

Summary

Here is a concise summary of the text:

**Project:** The Great Man-Made River (GMMR) in Libya
**Objective:** Provide fresh water to the country's northern cities and support agriculture
**Key Facts:**

* **Source:** Nubian Aquifer, the world's largest underground fossil water source
* **Scope:**
+ 3,000 km pipeline network
+ 1,300 wells drilled
+ $24 billion estimated total cost
* **Achievements (pre-2011):**
+ Supplied 6.5 million cubic meters of water daily to 4.5 million people
+ Supported large-scale agriculture, reducing dependence on imports
+ Helped prevent desertification in northern Libya
* **Current Status:**
+ Construction halted in 2011 due to civil war and international intervention
+ Existing infrastructure damaged or destroyed; water shortages now prevalent in Libya
+ Estimated potential: Could have made North Africa the world's breadbasket if completed and maintained.

Facts

Here are the key facts extracted from the text, each with a number and in short sentences:

**General Water Facts**

1. Two-thirds of the planet is covered with water.
2. Only three percent of the world's water reserves are fresh water.
3. Freshwater reserves are distributed very unevenly around the world.

**Libya's Water Situation**

4. Ninety percent of Libya is occupied by deserts.
5. Libya receives very little rainfall due to high air temperatures.
6. The Nubian Aquifer, the largest underground source of fossil fresh water, is located in the eastern Sahara Desert, covering over 2 million square kilometers across four countries in northeast Africa, including Libya.

**The Great Man-Made River Project**

7. The project was launched by Muammar Gaddafi in the first half of the 1980s.
8. The project aimed to extract water from the Nubian Aquifer and transport it to northern Libyan cities.
9. The water reserves were estimated to last 4,800 years at an extraction rate of 1.5 billion cubic meters per year.
10. The project was divided into 5 stages, with the first stage involving the construction of a plant producing massive pipes.
11. Over half a million pipes with a diameter of 4 meters were manufactured for the project.
12. The project involved international companies, with South Korean specialists leading the first phases.
13. The total length of specially laid roads for the project exceeded 3.5 thousand kilometers.

**Project Achievements and Statistics**

14. Before the 2011 civil war, 3 out of 5 stages of the project were completed.
15. The project supplied 6.5 million cubic meters of fresh water to cities and settlements.
16. 4.5 million people benefited from the project, with 70% of the water used for agriculture.
17. The project enabled the growth of wheat, barley, vegetables, and citrus fruits in Libya.
18. The project helped prevent desertification in northern and western Libya.

**Cost and Recognition**

19. The total cost of the project was estimated to be around $24 billion.
20. The project was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 2008 as the world's largest irrigation complex.

**Post-2011 Status**

21. The 2011 civil war and international intervention halted the project's construction.
22. The existing infrastructure suffered damage from bombings and uncontrolled groups.
23. Today, Libya often faces drinking water shortages, with the Great Man-Made River gradually losing its effectiveness due to neglect and attacks.