Ensure water efficiency is the norm

Over the past two decades, Australia has faced a dramatic reduction in rainfall. At the same time, there has been rapid population growth.17

The maps in Figure 6.2 show the dramatic shift towards drier conditions between 2000 and 2020, especially across southern and eastern Australia. There have been more years of below-average rainfall, especially in the cool season months of April to October. In 17 of the last 20 years, rainfall in southern Australia has been below average in these months.

If Australians are to have enough water to meet all their needs, they need to learn to do more with less.

Figure 6.2 : Cool season rainfall has declined over the past 20 years

Note: Rainfall decile maps for warm season (left) and cool season (right). These maps show where rainfall was above average, average or below average for 2000 to 2020, in comparison with the entire rainfall record from 1900 to 2020.

Source: Bureau of Meteorology (2020)18