JCI is hosting the IWA Specialist Groundwater Conference, being held in Belgrade from 8 to 10 September 2011, under the auspices of the IWA, the government of the Republic of Serbia  (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management/Water Directorate and the Ministry of Science and Technological Development), the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, ICPDR, and IAWD.

The goals of the Conference are to:

• Present recent experiences in the development and implementation of the groundwater component of water management plans (large river basins, national programs) – sustainable and adaptive management;
• Advance knowledge of the importance of the aerobic state of aquifers in different phases of groundwater resource management (opening of a source, protection of a source, maintenance of facilities, well-ageing, etc.);
• Provide insight into the impact of climate change on groundwater resources and potential mitigation and adaptation measures; and
• Promote contemporary methods for the mitigation of anthropogenic influences on significant aquifers, especially within the zones of large urban centers.