Man & Water AB, International Network (MAWN) We provide scientific advice to decision makers concerned with sustainable use and protection of freshwater resources. The world's freshwater resources must be adapted both to human needs and ecosystem function. Man is dependent on fresh water in the broadest sense of the word. Even so, man has degraded the aquatic environments of lakes, rivers and wetlands, and their natural resources are rarely utilized in a sustainable manner. The root causes of this mismanagement stem from the fact that the freshwater resource is used for so many purposes, e.g. electricity generation, transport, irrigation, industrial processes, wastewater purification, biological production and as the basic beverage world wide. Locally as well as regionally, approaches to wiser use of fresh water must be identified and implemented. Unless such decisions are based on the needs of local human cultures they have little chance of any long term success. It is, however, equally important that national authorities are involved in the process in order to attain consensus on the priorities of the use of water.