An ancient underground water basin the size of Libya in Australia, known as the Great Artesian Basin, is crucial for the country to avoid a water crisis amidst climate change and drought. Covering 1.7 million sq km and lying beneath one-fifth of Australia, this basin holds 65 million gigalitres of water, equivalent to 820 times the amount of surface water in the country. Rain filters through porous sandstone rock and becomes trapped in the basin, slowly replenishing it with 1 million megalitres a year. According to the Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee, there is enough water in the basin to fulfill Australia's needs for 1,500 years, if necessary. John Hillier, a hydrogeologist who recently conducted a study on the basin, confirms this vast water resource. However, he and other experts caution that the basin's water supply is at risk due to decreasing artesian pressure, which pushes water to the surface through bores and springs. If excessive water extraction continues, the ancient water source may become unreachable without costly pumping. Some parts of the basin, located up to two km below ground and reaching depths of 3 km, were formed between 100 and 250 million years ago. The basin consists of layers of waterbearing sandstone aquifers and non-waterbearing siltstones and mudstones. Water from the basin is crucial for mining, tourism, and grazing in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. The Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee reports that the underground water from the basin generates A$3.5 billion (US$2.4 billion) in production annually through activities such as farming, mining, and tourism. The mining and petroleum industry alone extracts 31,000 megalitres of water from the basin each year, which is essential for current operations and future growth. BHP-Billiton, a major mining company, takes 11,680 megalitres annually from the basin for its Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, and plans to increase water usage significantly to double production. Xstrata Plc, another mining company, is considering using water from the basin for a large coal mine in Queensland that would produce 20 million tonnes annually over a 30-year period. The pastoral industry is the largest consumer of water, utilizing 500,000 megalitres annually to irrigate some of Australia's most productive farmlands. Angus Emmott, who owns a cattle property in central Queensland, relies on basin water during droughts. Emmott emphasizes the importance of utilizing Great Artesian Basin water efficiently due to climate change, as up to 90 percent of the 87 million megalitres extracted since 1878 has been wasted. Due to decreasing water pressure, over 1,000 natural springs have disappeared and one-third of the original artesian bores have stopped flowing. The extraction of ancient basin water into the atmosphere is also a contributor to Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, releasing 330,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. A 15-year project called the Great Artesian Basin Sustainability project, which began in 1990, aims to preserve the water supply and the necessary hydraulic pressure 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 due to the outback heat. However, more than 1,052 bores have been regulated and many kilometers of open drains have been eliminated, with pipelines now in place, saving 272 gigalitres of water each year. Farmers are now using technology to control livestock access to bores and bore flows by fencing off bores and utilizing mobile telephone, satellite, and computer imaging technology. This has resulted in previously ceased bores and springs starting to flow again, leading to significant improvements in land management, pasture quality, and stock management. According to Emmott, the capping and piping program has also helped prevent issues such as bogging of domestic animals, maintenance costs of drains, and soil salination. Farmers and scientists emphasize the need for more efforts to be made to prevent a water crisis in the Great Artesian Basin due to the anticipated increase in demand for basin water in the future. Emmott emphasized the importance of taking care of communities for their survival, as the Great Artesian Basin requires a significant amount of time to recharge. A A$17 million sustainability report will focus on ensuring water supply for mining, pastoral, and environmental development in the future. With the increase in mining activity in the basin due to the global commodities boom, there will be a greater need to secure groundwater allocations for economic development. Andy Love from Flinders University will lead the study on this issue. Love stated that in order to achieve a balance between development and environmental protection, it is essential to have a better understanding of the amount of groundwater that can be extracted safely.