Water is the great integrator, a fundamental element of the human condition, common ground for scientific disciplines, a cornerstone of many contemporary natural resource problems, and one of the greatest management challenges of the 21^st Century. Human pressures on water resources are greater than any time in history, demanding innovative research and cutting-edge solutions to solve local, regional, and global water security challenges. Water security is considered to be the sustainable availability of quantity and quality of water for ecosystems, human health and livelihoods and industrial purposes. Thus, advancing water security necessitates improved understanding of economic, social, physical, biological, institutional and technological influences on water resources. In this session, we invite contributions that explore these issues from a variety of perspectives including, but not limited to, how we define, study, and ensure water security.