Can Satellites Predict the Next Water Crisis?

CSIRO and Surrey Satellite advance AquaWatch to forecast and protect Australia’s water from orbit

24 Oct 2025

Australia’s quest for smarter water management is heading skyward. CSIRO has teamed up with Surrey Satellite Technology to push forward AquaWatch, a bold venture to forecast water quality from space. If successful, it could function like a weather service for rivers and lakes, predicting problems before they surface.

Announced in September 2025, the collaboration marks a new chapter in CSIRO’s AquaWatch Australia initiative. The system fuses satellite imagery, ground sensors, and machine learning to monitor inland and coastal waters in near real time. Its centerpiece, a hyperspectral imager called Cyanosense, can spot telltale signs of algal blooms, pollution, or sediment long before they threaten ecosystems or communities.

“The goal is to shift from reacting to water crises to anticipating them,” said a CSIRO program lead. The new satellite will eventually plug into AquaWatch’s growing sensor network, offering water managers a sharper, faster picture of national water health.

The timing could not be more crucial. With climate change intensifying droughts, floods, and contamination events, the ability to foresee shifts in water quality is becoming a strategic necessity. Experts say this phase moves AquaWatch from research into infrastructure, laying the groundwork for a predictive system that could guide both emergency responses and long-term planning.

Although the satellite is still under construction, integration with existing ground networks has begun. Analysts believe this effort positions Australia at the forefront of smart water technology, with potential ripple effects across the Asia-Pacific.

Each stage brings AquaWatch closer to orbit and closer to a future where clean water can be forecast as easily as tomorrow’s weather, offering new hope for sustainable management of one of Earth’s most precious resources.