Freshwater ecosystems are increasingly threatened by human activity and the effects of climate change. The global response to these challenges has been mixed. In the developed world, the issue of eutrophication of inland waters has been a matter of intense focus and some remarkable counter measures, whilst in developing countries the situation has continued to worsen, as seen in the increasingly frequent and severe cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Taihu, China. 

The urgent demand for knowledge and techniques for the management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems is reflected in the theme of SIL 2018, Limnology, a Science for the Preservation and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems.