An ancient underground water basin the size of Libya, known as Australia's Great Artesian Basin, is crucial for the country to avoid a water crisis amidst the impact of climate change and drought. This massive groundwater basin covers 1.7 million sq km, lying beneath one-fifth of Australia. Holding 65 million gigalitres of water, it is equivalent to 820 times the amount of surface water in Australia and could cover half of Earth's land mass under half a metre of water. The basin is replenished with 1 million megalitres annually as rain seeps through porous sandstone rock and gets trapped underground. According to hydrogeologist John Hillier, the water in the basin could meet Australia's needs for 1,500 years if fully utilized. However, he and other experts caution that the basin's water supply is in danger due to decreasing artesian pressure, which pushes water to the surface through bores and springs. If the artesian pressure drops too low because of excessive water extraction, the ancient water source may become inaccessible without expensive pumping. Some parts of the basin, which reaches depths of up to 3 km, lie as deep as two km underground. The basin, created between 100 and 250 million years ago, is made up of layers of water-bearing sandstone aquifers and non-water-bearing siltstones and mudstones. Water from the basin is extracted through bores and is crucial for industries such as mining, tourism, and grazing in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. The Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee states that underground water from the basin contributes A$3.5 billion (US$2.4 billion) annually to farming, mining, and tourism. The mining and petroleum industry extracts 31,000 megalitres of water from the basin each year, which is crucial for future expansion. BHP-Billiton uses about 11,680 megalitres of basin water annually for its Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, and plans to triple this usage to double production. Xstrata Plc is also considering the basin as a water source for a large open cut thermal coal mine in Queensland. However, the agricultural industry is the largest consumer of water, using 500,000 megalitres annually to irrigate some of Australia's most productive farmlands. Angus Emmott, who manages a cattle property named Moonbah in central Queensland, depends on basin water during dry periods. Emmott believes that the bores are essential for the social and economic prosperity of the region, which lacked permanent fresh water in the past. He emphasizes the importance of using Great Artesian Basin water efficiently, especially with the increasing impacts of climate change. Since its initial use in 1878, approximately 87 million megalitres have been extracted from the basin, with up to 90 percent of it being wasted. Due to a decrease in water pressure, over 1,000 natural springs and one-third of the original artesian bores have stopped flowing. The extraction of ancient basin water also contributes to Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, releasing 330,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. A 15-year project called the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability project began in 1990 with the goal of preserving the water supply and necessary hydraulic pressure. Currently, there are around 3,000 bores releasing water into open bore drains, with 90 percent of the water evaporating due to the outback heat. However, efforts have been made to control over 1,052 bores and remove thousands of kilometers of open drains, resulting in the saving of 272 gigalitres of water each year. Farmers are now using technology to manage livestock access to bores and control bore flows, which has led to improved land management and better pasture and stock management. This sustainable practice has resulted in increased flow from bores and springs that had previously ceased to flow. Farmers and scientists emphasize the importance of continued efforts to prevent a water crisis in the Great Artesian Basin due to anticipated higher demand on basin water in the future. Emmott emphasized the importance of taking care of communities for their survival, as it takes a long time for resources to recharge. A A$17 million report on the Great Artesian Basin aims to ensure water availability for future mining, pastoral, and environmental needs due to the increased mining activity in the area. Andy Love from Flinders University will lead the study on how to meet the growing demands for groundwater allocations in the region. Love stated that it is essential to find a balance between development and environmental protection, which can only be achieved with a better understanding of the safe extraction levels of groundwater.