Why does australia have water shortages

Local councils are rushing to take emergency measures, including increasing water storage capacities and considering building more desalination plants.

But some locals note that water storage has been under discussion for decades, with limited results. And m ore heat will mean an increased demand for water , with threats to water security predicted as one of the most worrying effects of climate change.

While global action on climate change suffered a significant setback after the US withdrawal from the Paris c limate c hange accord, there is a new energy at the grassroots that gives some reason to hope that change can happen at a more rapid pace.

Youth climate activist Greta Thunberg — along with groups like Extinction Rebellion — are piling the pressure on governments , taking their message from the streets to international summits , with organisers of several groups maintaining momentum by planning a climate strike in cities around the world on Friday ahead of a UN meeting on the issue in New York on Monday. This has led to much tighter regulations and ongoing investment in more efficient irrigation schemes.

For now, Australia may have sufficient freshwater to meet its needs but the unreliability of its rainfall, the uncertainty of climate change, and the difficulties of supplying fast-growing cities and isolated rural communities poses problems. To ensure its water security Australia must continue to adapt—people, as well as koalas, will need to change their behaviors to get the water they need. All rights reserved. Share Tweet Email.

Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets. India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Environment Planet Possible India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big Grassroots efforts are bringing solar panels to rural villages without electricity, while massive solar arrays are being built across the country.

In , every state except for Tasmania and Western Australia received less than average rainfall while persistent high temperatures in Queensland contributed to record rates of evaporation.

It was a catalyst for change. Driven by the twin challenges of declining water supply and growing demand, Australia has stepped up its efforts to secure its water future. To meet this demand Australia is looking beyond its traditional rain-fed dams and reservoirs. Instead, it is turning to technology with all the mainland states investing in large desalination plants, each producing up to gigalitres of additional freshwater to cushion city-dwellers against growth and drought.

This process of augmenting freshwater supplies with treated wastewater, called Indirect Potable Reuse, could be crucial to futureproofing urban water supplies. In recycled water use increased in most urban centers and although no city directly uses treated wastewater as tap water, Perth has considered it. With the right technology and safeguards it could bring cities and homes close to self-sufficiency.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not attend the climate summit. Murray, who also oversees the bigger regional center of Armidale, said he first realized the scale of the problem when he noticed entire hillsides of hardy eucalyptuses dying.

Most councils, including Armidale and Dubbo, are trying to extend the deadline by drilling into the earth to tap underground reservoirs in the hope they can access water suitable for drinking. There is already a steep daily cost to farmers, towns and governments that are paying to truck-in water that usually drops freely from the sky.