Australians are amongst the highest per-capita users of water on Earth - even in urban areas. Yet many of our provincial towns are running out of water.

Despite massive storage capacity, most of our capital cities face dwindling supplies of stored water.

Our surface and groundwater resources are substantially over-allocated, and many of our freshwater ecosystems are in urgent need of repair.

Farming communities, who put much of the food on our tables, are being squeezed by prolonged drought and are now having to compete with others in the trade of water.

We have been so slow to realise the need for efficiency in the way we use, and reuse, water across all sectors: agriculture, industry and households

Have a look at The Big Picture Section of Our Water Mark. It will help you to quickly grasp the nature and extent of the crisis we now face in significantly large areas of this vast, fragile and ancient continent.

There are many more reliable sources from which to learn. Below are some we recommend.

Australia's Climate is Changing Australia - Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists

Australia's Water Crisis: Dr Wayne Chamley 2009

Water Trends in Australia Dr. Wayne Chamley 2009