The central tenet of the NeWater project is a transition from currently prevailing regimes of river basinwater management into more adaptive regimes in the future. This transition calls for a highly integratedwater resources management concept. NeWater identifies key typical elements of the current watermanagement system and focuses its research on processes of transition of these elements to adaptiveIWRM. Each key element is studied by novel approaches. Key IWRM areas where NeWater isexpected to deliver breakthrough results include: 1. governance in water management (methods to arrive at polycentric, horizontal broad stakeholderparticipation in IWRM) 2. sectoral integration (integration of IWRM and spatial planning; integration with climate changeadaptation strategies, cross-sectoral optimization and cost-benefit analysis) 3. scales of analysis in IWRM (methods to resolve resource use conflicts; transboundary issues) 4. information management (multi stakeholder dialogue, multi-agent systems modelling; role ofgames in decision making; novel monitoring systems for decision systems in water management) 5. infrastructure (innovative methods for river basin buffering capacity; role of storage in adaptation toclimate variability and climate extremes) 6. finances and risk mitigation strategies in water management (new instruments, role of public-private arrangements in risk-sharing) 7. stakeholder participation; promoting new ways of bridging between science, policy andimplementationThe development of concepts and tools that guide an integrated analysis and support a stepwiseprocess of change in water management is the corner-stone of research activities in the NeWaterproject. To achieve its objectives the project is structured into six work blocks, and it adopts amanagement structure that allows effective exchange between innovative and cutting edge researchon integrative water management concepts.