Portrait of water in Australia

An arid land

Australia is the world’s most arid inhabited continent. Rainfall is infrequent and varies tremendously from one year to the next and across the seasons. Rainfall also differs greatly across the continent, ranging from between 200 mm a year in central Australia to 2,000 mm a year in some coastal areas. Of all the countries in the world, Australia has the greatest variability in rainfall.

Vulnerable water courses

Nearly all (90%) of the rainfall in Australia is directly absorbed by vegetation or is lost due to the high evaporation rates much of the country experiences. Only a very small amount of rain runs into water courses or seeps into the ground to replenish the groundwater. Many of Australia’s rivers are considered to be very vulnerable, due to their low water levels and their variable volume of flow.

These water courses are the main source of supply for the country: 73% of all the fresh water used in Australia is drawn from rivers. A number of them are in fact being drawn from at an unsustainable rate, which is apparent in their low volume of flow and their compromised ability to sustain the ecosystems they harbour.

Arid land in Murray-Sunset National Park,
Mallee Desert, Australia

A water culture

Although many issues put water resources at the top of the list of challenges Australia is confronted with today, water nevertheless occupies a very special place in the country’s history and culture. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, the sea and inland waterways were and are a rich source of food and sites of spiritual significance.

The country was settled by Europeans along the coast and waterways as they provided fresh water, transportation routes and leisure activities. Today, the majority of large urban centres are located on the coast, far from the most arid zones in the heart of Australia. About 85% of the population lives no more that 50 km from the ocean. Water is also essential to many of the recreational activities that Australians love, including sports fishing, pleasure boating, swimming and diving.

The Great Barrier Reef extends some 2,000 km off the coast of Queensland. This jewel amongst UNESCO’s World Heritage sites shelters incredible aquatic riches, including some 1,500 species of fish, 5,000 species of shellfish, 360 species of coral and 175 species of seabirds. However, the impact of human activities weighs heavily on this exceptional and fragile environment, which is today threatened by climate change and the resulting ocean warning.

Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia