Increasing water scarcity and declining water quality are forcing a re-evaluation of water resource planning and management strategies in many regions. New approaches for developing and managing water resources systems at the regional and national scales are influenced by many natural and socio-economic factors, including population growth, economic development, more stringent environmental standards and the nonstationarity of future hydrologic extremes. Understanding and characterizing these complex systems, and the interactions between hydrologic processes (those governing both water quantity and quality), engineered systems and socio-economic forces will be critical for developing adaptive approaches to meeting future demands, while mitigating anthropogenic environmental impacts. These strategies will integrate a wide range of alternatives, including infrastructure, advanced technologies, economic instruments and social institutions, while in the process allowing for the development of more comprehensive approaches to water resource management. This session will explore advances in modeling that involves integration of these broader considerations into coherent framework that improve water resource policy.