How banking water underground in aquifers could help guard Australia against future drought

By Antony Funnell 

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But [Cardiff University's Mark Cuthbert] and other water scientists warn there's an urgent need for more sophisticated and coordinated management of [Australia's] water resources, both below and above ground.

One solution could be a little known, but already proven technique — "water banking".

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Water banking, or Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), involves a simple idea: deliberately injecting water into natural subterranean basins in times of plenty, when water is abundant in various parts of the country.

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Water banking is currently undertaken in various countries, but in Australia — the world's driest inhabited continent — it's yet to catch on in any substantial way.

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It's urged the Australian Government to create a National Water Strategy and to put a greater emphasis on improving water security for Australia's towns and cities.

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