In most arid and semi-arid countries groundwater is more and more becoming the ultimate geo-resource, as it is essential for livelihood and human activities. Dependency on this hidden asset has increasingly been recognized both in developed and developing countries. However, this precious resource is exposed to overexploitation due to a growing population as well as industrial and agricultural demands. Aside these socio-economical requirements, groundwater resources are threatened by climate variability and changes.

The conference has been launched to better understand the dynamics of groundwater resources under changing climate and hydrological conditions as well as to address the challenges in groundwater use. The conference served as a platform for the exchange of experiences, ideas and concepts on the hydrogeology of arid environments. It focused on the assessment of the water cycle and its interactions, the assessment of groundwater resources, economic processes, and aspects of water resources engineering and management. The conference has been part of the activities of the FH-DGG working group “Hydrogeology of Arid Environments” and has been sponsored by: Abu Degen Company for Drilling Wells (ADC), Büro für Geohydrologie und Umweltinformationssysteme (BGU), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Dornier Consulting (DCo), Eijkelkamp Agrisearch Equipment BV, German Water and Energy Group (GWE), Hajjan Drilling Est., hydrosolutions, Ingenieurgesellschaft Prof. Kobus und Partner (kup), OTT Hydromet, Schlumberger Water Services (SWS), SEBA Hydrometrie, and UNESCO's International Hydrological Programme (IHP).