Water and people in catchments: this theme focuses attention at the catchment level. It is concerned with water, poverty and risk in upper catchments. It seeks innovations in improved water management and aims to enable people to benefit from the improved management of land and water resources.

Aquatic ecosystems and fisheries: aquatic environments are a key source of nutrition for many of the world’s poor – often, they are the sole source of protein for these communities. Research under this theme investigates environmental water requirements; to value ecosystem goods and services; and to seek innovative ways in which to improve the productivity of aquatic ecosystems through policies, institutions, and governance.

Integrated basin water management systems: increasingly, integrated water resources management (IWRM) is viewed as a promising strategy for managing water resources. This theme identifies appropriate technologies and management practices designed to enable IWRM. It seeks innovative institutional arrangements and decision-support tools and information that can help with the establishment of this managerial strategy.

Global and national water and food systems: this theme examines water, its management and use at the broadest of possible scales. Hence, globalization, trade, macroeconomic and sectoral policies have an important bearing on water, how it is used, and its productivity. This theme concerns itself with the kinds of investments and financing for agricultural water development and water supply that may improve water productivity or, indeed, hinder it. This theme area also recognizes that at international levels, the management of water resources is complex and therefore seeks to understand how best to formulate appropriate policy and institutions to deal with this complexity. The theme also considers changes in the global water cycle.