Desert oases and the water supply

In Libya's desert region, the three largest oases are Al-Kufrah, Ghat and Ghudamis. Here, underground water resources are tapped by means of shallow wells.

Wadi Ki'am is Libya's only permanently-flowing river, and is only about 2km in length, flowing from its spring source in the western province down to a lagoon reservoir close to the seashore. All other wadi's run dry during the hot weather, but flash floods are common during the rainy season.

The Wadi Derna in Cyrenaica contains flowing water for a large part of the year, and provides water for irrigation of the surrounding land. In consequence, this is a comparatively fertile area. The spectacular gorge which runs through the Green Mountains in the north-east is formed by the waterless Wadi Al-Kuf.