Trying to water the Sahel desert
1986/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
Great projects and works have been called the adjective "Pharaonic" when we want to highlight greatness. If a work deserves the Pharaonic adjective, it is without lips what some Italians have proposed to the authorities of Zaire.
The aim of the proposal is to water the Sahel desert, diverting part of the waters from the Zaire river. A 2,500 km canal would link the Zaire and Txari rivers. The latter pours its waters into Lake Chad. It would be enough to transfer 1,000 million liters each year to Lake Chad.
According to the Italian proponents, this project called "Transaquea" would not only manage to water thousands of km2, but would open a new waterway. The canal would facilitate more direct relations between many villages without access to the sea.
Another similar project exists in the world; the project prepared by the Soviets to move the waters of the Siberian giants to the deserts of Karakhstan.
