The year 2000 Young Professionals Seminar focused on long-term intergenerational challenges. Water related problems are symptoms of complex and ultimately societal problems linked to human behaviour, political support and managerial and institutional structures. Although integrated water resources management is presented as a solution, it is not always well understood, and can create a sense of hopelessness among professionals. To make it operational requires long-term commitments among various professionals and the involvement of new actors. A number of key topics crystallised as needing further attention, including ethical dimensions in policy making, the development of a framework for a "Future Generation Impact Assessment" (FGIA), and efforts to achieve true dialogue among stakeholders. Young water professionals must become more involved in political processes and take active part in institutional changes. Such engagement will require changes in the working environment facing many young professionals that causes frustration due to inefficient and conservative hierarchical structures and the lack of transparency.