CHAPTER NINE. Natural Resources
Article 184. Ownership of Natural Resources
Natural resources, including oil, gas, minerals, and water, belong to the Libyan people, and the State shall exercise control over the natural resources in the name of the people. The State shall work towards the exploitation, protection, development, investment, and improved management of natural resources, so as to ensure the public interest and that all regions benefit from natural resources in an equitable manner, thus preserving the rights of future generations.
Article 185. Contracts and Agreements on Natural Resources
Contracts and agreements related to natural resources shall be subject to legislative authorities and their counsels for review during specific periods and in cases which are regulated by law, in order to ensure the preservation of natural resources, environmental balance, the necessities of transparency, the protection of the rights of future generations, the reduction of damaging harmed regions, and the guarantee of social accountability.
Article 186. Localization of Alternative Projects
A law shall allocate a percentage of returns from non-renewable resources to establish alternative projects giving priority to them in areas of production, depending on spatial possibilities and supplies to develop its infrastructure, then the least developed areas.
Article 187. Guaranteeing the Rights of Future Generations
A law shall allocate a proportion of the returns from natural resources for the benefit of future generations. The State shall be committed to enacting the necessary measures to develop and invest in them with high quality and in accordance with the necessary safety standards.
Article 188. Water
The State shall commit to taking the necessary measures to improve water resource administration, thereby ensuring its preservation, protection from pollution and attack, and guaranteed economization of consumption. The State shall also explore alternatives to water and ways to achieve water security and shall provide reparations to the areas from which groundwater is transported.
A special body shall be established by law to undertake scientific research, enact policies and their necessary supporting programs, and to supervise the implementation of these policies.
Article 189. Renewable Energy
The State shall develop the necessary policies to invest in renewable energy sectors from various resources, encourage scientific research, and localize renewable energy projects in appropriate sites.
Article 190. Animal and Marine Resources
The State shall work towards protecting animal and marine resources, improving their utilization and development, preserving their genealogy, and fostering sustainability and regeneration.
Article 191. Vegetation
The State shall commit to taking the necessary measures to protect vegetation with good management to ensure its balanced environmental, economic, and social function.
The State shall manage its forests and shall rehabilitate what has been damaged. It shall utilize these forests according to the law, and may not transfer its ownership of forests nor take possession of them through occupancy.
