FRIEND-Water (Flow Regime from International Experimental and Network Data) is an expert network of the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO-IHP). It aims at generating a new understanding of regional hydrology and multi-scale hydrological processes. FRIEND-Water investigates long-term variations and changes in hydrological regimes and parameters. FRIEND-Water’s R&D activities are vital for water resources management, socio-economic development, securing livelihoods, environmental protection and impact assessment of global change on hydrological processes, including climate change and human activities. FRIEND-Water contributes to investigating regional water resources, hydrological extremes, global change and the hydrological cycle, water education and capacity building. FRIEND-Water interacts with many national and international projects and initiatives, e.g. ISI, IDI, IFI, G-WADI, ISARM, IIWQ, GRAPHIC, and WMO/GWP’s IDMP, etc. FRIEND conferences take place every four years. The 8th Global FRIEND-Water Conference will be held in Beijing, China in 2018.