Water features in almost all the 17 Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs) in the UN’s new development agenda up to 2030, which demonstrates its central role in all aspects of development. This paper is a timely response that reviews the evolution of the IWRM approach over the past 25 years and its contributions towards increasing water security. This is a Technical Background Paper, written by the GWP Technical Committee, a group of internationally recognised professionals in integrated water resources management.