Library Guides: Water in the World: Water in Australia

Source: Zac Edmonds

Australia's is the world's driest inhabited continent, with much of the country covered in desert. How does this lack of water impact where and how we live, and where does our water come from? Read through the resources below to learn more.

Water in Australia (Bureau of Meteorology, 2020)
Water in Australia 2019–20 draws on a range of Bureau information to describe the characteristics of Australia's water resources availability and use for the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. Read through this website to get a summary of the report.
Australia's water resources and uses (State of the Environment, n.d.)
Australia’s water resources can be assessed, in part, according to drainage divisions and our withdrawal of water for other uses from the environment (abstraction). Read through this website to learn more.
Water (Parliament of Australia, n.d.)
In terms of rainfall, Australia is the driest inhabited continent, and the amount of rainwater that enters rivers is also very low. On average, only 12% of rainfall flows into rivers in Australia, compared to 39% for Europe and 52% for North America. In addition, our rainfall is often highly variable: ‘droughts and flooding rains’ is an apt description of the natural condition in much of the continent. Read through this website to learn more.
Failing rains and thirsty cities: Australia’s growing water problem (National Geographic, n.d.)
Australia is a country on the brink of a water crisis. Understanding why water is scarce and where the water goes will be crucial to keeping Australia’s taps flowing as its population grows. Read through this article to learn more.
The role of water in Australia's uncertain future (The Conversation, 2015, August 3)
If you live in an Australian city, there’s a good chance that your water comes from surface water such as streams, rivers and reservoirs filled by rainfall and runoff. If you live in Perth, much of your water (about 40%) comes from groundwater. But you might be surprised to know that a sizeable proportion of water in Australia came from recycling or desalination in 2013-14. Read through this article to learn more.
Groundwater use (Geoscience Australia, n.d.)
Australia's use of groundwater has increased significantly over recent decades. For example, in 13 years from 1983 to 1996 our national reliance on groundwater increased by nearly 90 per cent. Future use of groundwater in Australia is projected to rise, especially as surface water resources may become less available due to climate change and prolonged droughts. Read through this article to learn more.
Melbourne Water
Melbourne’s protected water catchments are the reason why most of our drinking water needs little treatment. Safeguarding these vital assets is one of our most important activities. Read through this website to learn more.
Water supply and consumption in Australia - statistics & facts (Statista, 2021, July 1)
Water scarcity has always been a contentious issue in Australia, a country which is known as the driest inhabited continent in the world. Lower rainfall has led to a reducing share of water in storage dams across the country, with water catchments struggling to maintain a sustainable water supply in most regions. This has been exacerbated by the increasing demand for water by both household and industry consumers. Read through this article to learn more.

Australia's waterways by Greg Pyers
Publication Date: 2004
Australia is a diverse continent. There are vast areas of desert, pockets of lush rainforest, rugged mountain ranges, spectacular rock formations and countless waterways. Each landscape supports a wide range of plants and animals. Each is used by people in a variety of ways. And each has its own environmental problems. Find out about Australia's waterways - how they were used by people long ago and how important they are today, the environmental problems affecting them and what we can do to protect them.
Discover & learn about Australian wetlands and waterways by Steve Parish
Clearly and simply written and illustrated in brilliant colour with photographs, diagrams and maps.
Australia's coast the best beaches and coastal areas around the country
Publication Date: 2013
The second edition of Australia's Coast is a captivating guide to the Australian coast - its renowned hotspots and the experiences there which make them such a favourite destination for travellers worldwide. Featuring over 400 beautiful images from Australian Geographic, the book is divided by state and highlights the best beaches and coastal areas to visit. An extended introduction also focuses on coastal icons - lighthouses, shipwrecks, whales, coral, tropical islands - and the myriad coastal activities such as surfing, fishing and diving.
Discover & learn about Australian coasts and oceans by Pat Slater & Steve Parish
Clearly and simply written, and illustrated in brilliant colour with photographs, diagrams and maps. Designed to put the fun back into learning.