As rapid global economic development and increasingly complex industrial and agricultural processes have taken place, demand for water resources have increased accordingly.  However,  this has not always been accompanied by responsible water or waste water management, and the environmental and social impacts of negligent practices are problems that are occurring more often than they should.  Water management and the safe treatment of water is strategically important for economic, social and environmental development, and the continuing development and use of technologies for water management and treatment are of huge importance to countries and industries around the world.