Libya: Groundwater deluge floods coastal homes
Groundwater deluge is flooding coastal homes, streets, and farmland in north-western Libya, according to AFP on February 14th.
Locals are fleeing town of Zliten as stagnant, muddy water damages buildings and creates ideal breeding conditions for mosquitos.
Zliten is 150 km (100 miles) east of Tripoli, home to 350,000 people, and is known for its Sufi shrines, al-Asmariya University, and its palm and olive groves.
Mayor Moftah Hamadi said that around 50 families had already been relocated because of the flooding.
A local farmer, Mohamad Ali Dioub, told AFP: “Water began coming out two months ago and still continues to rise and submerge our wells… All my fruit trees are dead.”
Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah has vowed to “remediate this crisis in a scientific and rapid manner,” and urged local authorities to compensate or relocate displaced families.
Derna in eastern Libya was ravaged by floods in September 2023, following the collapse of two dams. At least 4,300 people were killed and 8,000 remain unaccounted for, according to UN estimates, although the true death toll is feared to be much higher.
READ: Authorities call for investigation into deadly floods
Zliten’s locals say the groundwater flooding is not a new phenomenon but has now hit the area on an unprecedented scale.
With no consensus as to the cause of the flooding, foreign specialists have traveled to the town in the hope of identifying its causes and to find solutions.
Around the world, rising sea levels have been linked to coastal groundwater upsurges, as dense salt water seeps down into the ground, pushing the lighter fresh water towards the surface.
AFP
