The proceeding of the conference: "Handshake across the Jordan: Water and Understanding" held in Pella, Jordan (26.09.2010 - 28.09.2010) is now available online. The conference aimed at providing an opportunity for professionals in the water sector, agriculturists, politicians, stakeholders and others to exchange their ideas, research results and concerns on the water situation in the Middle East. In addition the conference intended to enable an open dialogue about the water status in the Palestinian Territories and the utilisation of transboundary water resources in the Jordan Basin. Further objectives of the conference were new developments and experiences in: • Water resources management • Sustainability of the use of water • Methods of ground water recharge • Determination of water management data • Remote sensing for water management • Public safety during floods • Political impact of water scarcity • Education in Hydraulic Engineering • Capacity building by academic exchange • Adaptation to climate change in the water sector in arid river basins.