The Our Land and Water National Science Challenge has a daunting task: to deliver solutions to the dilemma of preserving the most fundamental treasures of our country—its land, water and associated ecosystems—while producing economic value from those same treasures. As a challenge, this is the ultimate. Every New Zealander, both alive today and yet to come, has a stake in the outcome. We envisage a future in which catchments contain mosaics of land uses that are more resilient, healthy and prosperous than they are today; a future where all New Zealanders can be proud of the state of our land and water and share economic, environmental, social and cultural value from them. The role of the Challenge is threefold: 1) to understand the pressures and drivers of change; 2) to provide a vision for the future; and 3) to collaborate and undertake the research and navigate transition pathways for change that meet our statutory objective, namely: ‘To enhance primary sector production and productivity while maintaining and improving our land and water quality for future generations.’ Achieving the challenge objective will require fundamental shifts in attitudes and behaviours on a national scale. Our Land and Water is one of 11 National Science Challenges designed to take a more strategic approach to the New Zealand government's science investment by targeting a series of goals, which, if achieved, would have major and enduring benefits for New Zealand. The National Science Challenges are cross-disciplinary, mission-led programmes designed to tackle New Zealand’s biggest science-based challenges. They require collaboration between researchers from universities and other academic institutions, Crown Research Institutes, businesses and non-government organisations to achieve their objectives. Our Land and Water is one of the largest National Science Challenges, with funding of up to $96.9 million over 10 years.