Australia's groundwater resources support communities, industries and the environment across the country.
Australia's groundwater resources support communities, industries and the environment across the country. With our highly variable surface water supply and decreasing rainfall across large parts of the continent, groundwater resources are increasingly becoming a lifeline for many Australian communities and industries.
Indeed, in many parts of the country, groundwater is the only reliable water supply available to support towns, including large cities, such as Perth, agriculture (pastoral activities and irrigation) and the resources sector, including large mining developments.
Groundwater is a finite resource. Pressure on our groundwater resources is mounting as a result of a warmer, and in some places drier, climate, expanding agricultural developments and large-scale mining and unconventional gas extraction. CSIRO develops science-based solutions to inform decision-making around groundwater resource developments and its long-term management.
We investigate the ways groundwater can contribute to make our water-dependant cities and economies become more drought resilient. Protection of our groundwater-dependant environments is a central focus.
Our Groundwater Management group seeks to better understand groundwater resources and develop fit-for-purpose products both for immediate interventions and longer-term developments. Our multi-disciplinary teams develop novel solutions through a combination of:
Researchers can assess sustainability of groundwater use and potential risks to groundwater dependent assets.
Our expertise has been applied across a range of water resource management challenges, aimed at securing water for communities, agriculture and industry while protecting the environment. Typical applications include:
Through our international projects and engagements across South-East Asia, South America and Europe, we build enduring partnerships and expertise that will benefit domestic applications.
We have been leading several of the world's largest basin-scale investigations into the impacts of groundwater extraction, climate change and other factors on Australia’s groundwater and surface water resources:
To better understand the risks from coal seam gas and large mining developments, the Commonwealth Department of The Environment and Energy had commissioned several knowledge projects on topics such as:
Following the Bioregional Assessment program, we are currently engaged in the multidisciplinary Geological and Bioregional Assessment Program, which is assessing cumulative impacts from shale and tight gas development on water and the environment in the Cooper, Beetaloo and Isa GBA regions.