Critical examination of the ability of alternative fresh water sources to assist sustainable growth of Australian agricultural sector

Australia is the world driest inhabited continent. In accordance with the Encyclopedia of Climatology 50% of Australian land receives less than 300 mm of precipitation per annum and 80% of the land receives less than 600 mm per annum.This is well bellow the average annual rainfall of 812.8 mm on the Earth, and much lower than the average annual rainfall of 4548 mm in Asia. Furthermore, in over 75% of the territory the potential evaporation is greater than 2500 mm/p.a. and in central Australia the evaporation potential is around 4500 mm/p.a. – 20 times the actualannual rainfall. Not surprisingly, the most productive agricultural areas of Australia are located within the zones of highest precipitation (with an exception of the most northern uninhabited parts of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland), Figure 1. Therefore, the possibilities of the future development of the Australian agricultural sector and the prosperity of the Australian people in general, depend largely on the vital question of ensuring sustainable fresh water supply.