Ubangi River

Template:Short description Template:Infobox riverThe Ubangi River (Template:IPAc-en; Template:Langx; Template:Langx; Template:Langx), also spelled Oubangui, is a river in Central Africa, and the largest right-bank tributary of the Congo River. It begins at the confluence of the Mbomou (mean annual discharge 1,350 m³/s) and Uele Rivers (mean annual discharge 1,550 m³/s) and flows west, forming the border between Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Subsequently, the Ubangi bends to the southwest and passes through Bangui, the capital of the CAR, after which it flows southTemplate:Sndforming the border between the DRC and the Republic of the Congo. The Ubangi finally joins the Congo River at Liranga.

The Ubangi's length is about Template:Cvt. Its total length with the Uele, its longest tributary, is Template:Cvt. The Ubangi's drainage basin is about Template:Cvt. Mean annual discharge at mouth 5,936 m³/s. Its discharge at Bangui ranges from about Template:Cvt to Template:Cvt, with an average flow of about ~Template:Cvt.<ref name="bossche">Template:Cite book</ref> It is believed that the Ubangi's upper reaches originally flowed into the Chari River and Lake Chad before being captured by the Congo in the early Pleistocene.<ref>See Cooper, John E. and Hull, Gordon; Gorilla Pathology and Health: With a Catalogue of Preserved Materials, p. 371 Template:ISBN</ref>

Together with the Congo River, it provides an important transport artery for river boats between Bangui and Brazzaville. From its source to Template:Cvt below Bangui, the Ubangi defines the boundary between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thereafter, it forms the boundary between the DRC and the Republic of Congo until it empties into the Congo River.

Transaqua scheme (in red)

Lake Chad replenishment project

Template:Main In the 1960s,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> a plan was proposed to divert waters from the Ubangi to the Chari River. According to the plan, named Transaqua, the water from the Ubangi would revitalize Lake Chad and provide a livelihood in fishing and enhanced agriculture to tens of millions of central Africans and Sahelians. Inter-basin water transfer schemes were proposed in the 1980s and 1990s by Nigerian engineer J.Template:NbspUmolu and the Italian firm Bonifica.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Umolu, J. C.; 1990, Macro Perspectives for Nigeria’s Water Resources Planning, Proc. of the First Biennial National Hydrology Symposium, Maiduguri, Nigeria, pp. 218–262 (discussion of Ubangi-Lake Chad diversion schemes)</ref><ref>The Changing Geography of Africa and the Middle East By Graham Chapman, Kathleen M. Baker, University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, 1992 Routledge. Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1994, the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) proposed a similar project, and at a March 2008 summit the heads of state of the LCBC member countries committed to the diversion project.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 2008, the LCBC advertised a request for proposals for a feasibility study.

External links

• Map showing the Ubangi Subbasin at World Resources Institute
• International Commission of the Congo-Oubangui-Sangha Bassin