As a world renowned authority on water issues, Serageldin was invited to the launch meeting for the Water Futures and Solutions Scenarios Project held at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Senior representatives from government and non-government organizations, business and academia gathered at IIASA to discuss this new initiative which was started through a partnership of IIASA, UNESCO, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the World Water Council, and the International Water Association. The 6 year initiative aims to be a comprehensive assessment of the current and future state of water resources globally, and to develop options for managing water-related challenges.