Think Australia and it conjures up the images of dry, desolate, deadly deserts. Given that the majority of the continent is desert, this is not an unjustified image. But it is a wrong one.

A vast majority of Australians live in moderate, albeit slightly arid regions. In the South and the West, think rolling hills verdant with wheat, livestock pastures, tree crops and vineyards. In the North, think tropic rainforests and vast floodplains that sometimes see more rain in one week than Seattle might see in an entire year. In the East -- where most Australians live -- it is a mix of Mediterranean moderacy and dry tropical rainforest. Australia boasts far more meteorological and geological diversity than most outsiders would imagine.

Nonetheless, the water reserves for the almost 35 million Australians are not up to the task of meeting burgeoning population growth. And climate change that is being felt most extremely at the poles is making its mercurial presence known in this pole-proximate continent. Keep in mind that Sydney is only about 1500 miles from the South Pole. Whereas New York City is more than 3200 miles from the North Pole. Australia's closeness to the South Pole makes it a canary in the global-warming mine. And its loss of predictable weather patterns combined with a mix of more extreme weather is putting Australians to the test well before North America in coping with nature's increasing volatility.

I've been to Australia eight times now and am just finishing up an 18-day visit to Western Australia. I am absolutely convinced that the country will be facing some significant ecological challenges that will test its science and its social fabric. I'm also absolutely convinced that there is no nation on earth that is more prepared for this test.

While George W. Bush distracted Americans from preparation for this challenge by enmeshing us in Middle Eastern tribal battles, the Australian governments have been laying the foundations for a more flexible and resourceful populace. Thinking green is a given -- the only differences lay with shades of green. The "dark greens" are viewed as extremists, in contrast to the most recent American government which viewed any "green sympathizer" as an extremist.

Having used the last decade to leap ahead of America, we now have some lessons to learn from this very resourceful and foresighted nation. For example, Australia's water policies are far more advanced than anything that can be found in America. Rationing is a given. Water-efficient devices can be found at almost every retail store. Most every rural location I visited in Western Australia had cisterns and other water-capture devices to supplement water needs. Most irrigation is done using recaptured water. And don't even get me started on the apparent fact that one out of every two homes I saw had solar hot water heaters installed on rooftops. Energy AND water efficient!

More than just the hardware, Australians have developed an ethic in which water smarts is respected and wastefulness viewed as socially rude. Notwithstanding their British roots, lawns are usually only found in public parks and those lawns I did see relied largely on recaptured water. The use of potable water to grow grass is viewed as just silly. Or, as every hotel room reminds its guests: "Water is a precious resource. Use it wisely". And the Aussies don't just preach this gospel, they live it.

The other notable aspect of Australian preparedness is that they trust their government policymakers to develop reasonable but strict rules for water usage. They may not like the rigors, but they respect it and take comfort in the fact that it is a burden that is shared by everyone. Not content to let the wealthier among them pay for wastefulness, the Australians view water waste as vile and not acceptable behavior no matter how wealthy the waster. Water smarts is a socially shared effort where everyone -- no matter what their rank or social status -- chips in and assists with the cause.

Preparedness. Trust in policymakers. Shared sacrifice. Water viewed as precious. Investment in water-efficient technology. Understanding the big picture. Australians have largely escaped "water wars" or using water to divide communities. These are all very important lessons that Americans, Californians and San Diegans would do well to heed.

Perhaps most impressive is that Australians are not content to rest on their laurels. Ever more aggressive water policies are being actively debated amongst most state governments. The debates are contentious and consensus on specific measures is always a challenge. But every elected official and almost every Australian with whom I spoke seemed to be on the same page about the big picture. Drought has become a constant spectre haunting this society. They all take this ghost VERY seriously.