Unprecedented levels of water stress and rapidly growing water demands have given rise to a unique set of complex challenges that ultimately threaten the continued stability and development of economies, societies and ecosystems around the world. Poised on the threshold of a global water crisis, the international community must consolidate its efforts towards effectively tackling issues related to water use efficiency and water demand management if this potential calamity is to be forestalled and corrected, and the platform for such a consolidation is now at hand.

The sixth IWA Specialist Conference on Efficient Use and Management of Water is being held this Spring from March 29 until April 2 at the Dead Sea, Jordan, under the theme of 'Water Demand Management: Challenges and Opportunities'. The conference will address key water management and efficiency issues facing both developed and developing countries, serving as a podium for water professionals and stakeholders to voice pressing concerns and research findings, share insights into water management experiences, showcase modern technologies that facilitate water use efficiency, propound best management practices, and discuss alternative water resources, among other things. It will also bring together over 500 policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners, presenting a distinctly ideal opportunity for networking.