The world's most precious resource is its water. While livelihoods may come from the land It is water that enables life itself. With a growing population we have a growing need for water For people, agriculture, industry and the environment. Geoscience Australia understands the increasing demands for this essential resource Of all the inhabited continents, Australia's surface is the driest. For more than a century we have tapped into one of the world's largest groundwater systems Without sustainable management, increasing pressures from above can mean decreasing pressures from below And this water source could literally disappear How do we secure Australia's water resources? Good management begins with good information By examining the location and nature of our water systems We must understand how groundwater cycles beneath this dry continent And how this impacts its availability on the surface. This is the work of Geoscience Australia It maps and models interconnected underground and surface water systems To understand the source and quality of potential water supplies. It provides advice and information to government and other decision makers To ensure we make best use of our finite reserves. Australia needs to carefully manage its water supply To allow industries to flourish in a dry landscape To sustain growing communities To secure water for all users who rely on this precious resource Geoscience Australia, applying geoscience to Australia's most important challenges