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Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2014, 4(2): 72-80
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Article

Exploitation survey of sea water in agriculture of coastal deserts in Libya

Mohamed Nasar
University of Singidunum, Belgrade, Pozeska 83a 11000 Beograd, Serbia

Received 20 January 2014;Accepted 28 February 2014;Published online 1 June 2014
IAEES

Abstract
This paper examines the possibility of exploitation sea water in the agriculture of coastal deserts in Libya, some of which salt-tolerant plants (Halophyte), especially that used to feed animals, and convert marshes coastal useless life to nature reserves attract many kinds of migratory birds and marine lives after the cultivation of these marshes by type of plants, which grow in saltwater. In other words this paper will present a study of how to use the seawater as a renewable resource for agriculture in Libya and how this will contribute in sustainable development in this sprawling country. The advantage of this resource can be taken to fill up the gap of natural grassland and the growing demand for animal feed which has caused rising prices of livestock and meats, not to mention the tribal conflicts that occur because of the dispute over grasslands. The most significant reasons that force us to exploit the seawater are: (1) Lack of inventory of underground water in the coastal areas and overlapping with seawater in several areas. In contrast, Libya has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean with a length of more than 1,900 kilometers; (2) Fluctuation rate of the amount of rainfall, which has affected negatively on the natural grassland; (3) More than 90% of the country's population in the coastal areas, that causing a large drain of groundwater which already meager in this region, for this reason the government has worked to establish Artificial River project, which delivers water from the south to the northern areas to reduce this problem, and (4) Depletion and degradation of natural grassland is largely due to overgrazing.

Keywords seawater;halophyte;mangrove cultivation;sustainable development;animal fodder;greening the deserts.

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