Mainstreaming water management into economic, social and environmental sustainability objectives is a key challenge that water professionals will face in the coming years, with an objective of balancing costs and benefits of national water assets within our socio-economic environment. Highlighting 50 years of developments in the water sector was Dr. Mogens Dyhr-Nielsen, who was delivering the Second AIT Distinguished Adjunct Faculty (DAF) Seminar on 22 September 2015.