An ancient underground water basin, equivalent in size to Libya, is crucial for Australia to prevent a water crisis caused by climate change. The Great Artesian Basin in Australia is one of the largest artesian groundwater basins globally, covering 1.7 million sq km and located beneath one-fifth of the country. With a capacity of 65 million gigalitres of water, which is about 820 times more than Australia's surface water, it could potentially cover half of the Earth's land mass with half a meter of water. The basin is continually replenished with 1 million megalitres annually as rainwater seeps through porous sandstone rock and gets trapped underground. According to the Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee, there is enough water in the basin to meet Australia's needs for 1,500 years, if fully utilized. John Hillier, a hydrogeologist who recently concluded the Great Artesian Basin Resource Study, confirms this. However, he and other experts caution that the basin's water supply is at risk due to decreasing artesian pressure, which causes water to be brought to the surface through bores and springs. If the artesian pressure drops too much because of excessive water extraction, the ancient water source will become inaccessible, unless costly pumping is utilized. Some parts of the basin are up to 3 km deep, with the water source lying as far down as two km below ground. Formed between 100 and 250 million years ago, the basin is composed of alternating layers of water-bearing sandstone aquifers and non-water-bearing siltstones and mudstones. Water from the basin is extracted through bores and is the sole source of water for mining, tourism, and grazing in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. The Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee estimates that underground water from the basin contributes A$3.5 billion (US$2.4 billion) annually to production in farming, mining, and tourism. The mining and petroleum industry utilizes 31,000 megalitres of basin water each year, either in production processes or as a by-product of mining, and this water is crucial for future expansion. BHP-Billiton, a major mining company, currently extracts 11,680 megalitres annually from the basin to operate its Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, but plans to significantly increase water usage to support expanded production. Xstrata Plc, a Swiss-based miner, is considering using water from the basin for a large thermal coal mine in Queensland, which would be the largest open-cut mine in Australia, producing 20 million tonnes a year for a span of 30 years. The pastoral industry is the largest user of water, utilizing 500,000 megalitres annually to irrigate Australia's most productive farmlands. Angus Emmott, owner of Moonbah cattle property in central Queensland, depends on basin water during droughts to sustain his business. Emmott emphasizes the importance of utilizing Great Artesian Basin water efficiently due to climate change and the limited availability of permanent fresh water in the area. Since its initial use in 1878, an estimated 87 million megalitres has been extracted from the basin, with up to 90 percent of it being wasted, posing a threat to the basin's water levels. Due to a decrease in water pressure, over 1,000 natural springs have disappeared and one-third of the original artesian bores are no longer 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, launched in 1990, aims to protect the water supply and the hydraulic pressure needed to access it. Currently, there are around 3,000 bores that release water into 34,000 km of open bore drains, with 90 percent of the water evaporating in the hot outback climate. However, more than 1,052 bores have been managed and numerous kilometers of open drains have been removed, with pipelines installed instead, resulting in the saving of 272 gigalitres of water each year. Farmers are now using technology to control access to bores and manage bore flows, leading to improved land management and better pasture and stock management. This sustainable approach has prevented issues like bogging of domestic animals, maintenance costs of drains, and soil salination. Farmers and scientists emphasize the importance of continued efforts to prevent a water crisis in the Great Artesian Basin due to increasing demand on basin water in the future. Emmott emphasized the importance of taking care of communities for their survival, as the Great Artesian Basin requires careful management due to its slow recharge rate. A $17 million sustainability report will address how to secure water for future mining, pastoral, and environmental projects. The mining industry's growth in the region is expected to put pressure on groundwater resources, prompting a study led by Andy Love from Flinders University. Love stated that it is necessary to find a balance between development and environmental protection, but this cannot be done without a better understanding of the safe amount of groundwater that can be extracted.