The Nile is the major source of water for irrigation in northern Sudan and Egypt. The need for water is most acute during the dry season, which coincides with the period of low-flow of the Nile. Consequently, intensive studies have been made, since 1904, on the hydrology of the Nile and its control, while dams have been built on the Blue Nile, the White Nile, and the River Nile (i.e. after the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile at Khartoum). The concept of storage in the equatorial lakes was also entertained, before the decision was taken on the current excavation of the Jonglei Canal to by-pass the ‘Sudd’ swamps.

A vast literature is available on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Nile. Nevertheless the present manuscript is seemingly the first attempt to present unpublished notes with a compilation of the published literature. I have also attempted to outline the existing Jonglei Canal Project, which is often confused with earlier-suggested projects.

I advocate that the need for water and the present state of knowledge justify undertaking ‘Phase One’ of the Project, but not ‘Phase Two’. A future paper (now in preparation) will deal in detail with claims that the excavation of the Canal will have drastic ecological repercussions, and will affect the way of life of the local Nilotic tribes.

It is argued that, while designation (i.e. allocation) of an area to wilderness or related nature conservation purposes is an important action, it is merely a necessary but insufficient step in the long-term preservation and protection of such areas. Although one can argue that areas designated for preservation objectives require little or no management, the persistent pressures stemming from their continued use, as well as external pressures stemming from increasing (and/or increasingly mobile) human populations, make the issue of management not one of whether but rather of how.

Wilderness management is an inherently difficult task. Generally low levels of information foster great uncertainly with which managers must contend. The difficulty is further promoted by the relative scarcity of the wilderness resource, and by potentially irreversible consequences stemming from decisions made in the face of uncertainty.

The difficult nature of the job of wilderness management could be made less so by improvements in the following areas:

1. Development of accurate baseline information about the wilderness resource and its use;

2. Development of a hierarchical management framework that specified goals, objectives, and actions;

3. Improved understanding of the consequences of alternative management actions;

4. Resolution of the underlying philosophical basis for management; and

5. Development of a broad spectrum of areas with varying levels of importance placed on Nature conservation, so that some areas are provided with relatively high levels of human presence and impact, while others are managed so as to provide the highest degree of protection to Nature and conservation values.

The enthusiasm with which Ghana's natural resources, particularly mineral and forest products, have been exploited during the past century, has resulted in serious environmental degradation in many of the resource-rich areas. The impression has been created, and accepted, that the existence of these resources constitutes a sound basis for social and economic development, and precipitous steps have therefore been taken to utilize these resources—irrespective of the consequences on the natural environment. The present situation is that the costs of utilizing the country's forests, minerals, and soils, are obviously high, when estimated in terms of environmental degradation, and even higher, when calculated in terms of risk of depletion.

There is evidence of the realization, particularly among decision-makers, of environmental and ecological harm having been done through past development, and although there is general concern over inadequate ‘resources’ to rectify existing damages, steps are being taken to ensure long-term integrated management in the future of the country's remaining resources. For example, a national Environmental Protection Council has been established to coordinate all activities relating to the environment, and to advise the government in environmental matters (Dorm-Adzobu, 1980). One of the major concerns of the Council is the education of the public, to understand and appreciate the values of a healthy environment.

Faced with the necessity to combine development and environment in the use of natural resources, developing countries, most of which are basically concerned with nursing ailing economies, have a difficult decision to make—a decision which will not only affect the present developmental process but also have implications for the future. In the interests of a sustained future, such a decision must be based on a serious consideration of the conservational and socio-cultural aspects of natural resource use.