Groundwater is the world’s largest unfrozen freshwater reserve. Australia’s Great Artesian Basin alone holds enough water to fill Sydney Harbour 130,000 times. Worldwide, groundwater provides drinking water for half the world’s population. Countries like Denmark and Austria rely entirely on it for drinking water.
Globally, we pump almost 1,000 cubic kilometres of this ancient water each year. We’re using it far faster than it can naturally replenish. About a third of the world’s largest groundwater basins are in distress, meaning levels are continuously declining.
