Transboundary waters account for 60 percent of the world’s freshwater flows, hence the need for cooperation and recognition of mutually supportive roles in their management.

The Source to Sea (S2S) approach is a dynamic interface between land and oceans that provides an opportunity for integrated planning that optimizes the implementation of integrated water resources management while preserving natural resources and generating environmental socio-economic benefits for current and future generations with a special focus on indigenous, women and youth. 

This side event, organized in the framework of the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York, will discuss solutions to accelerate actions to achieve SDGs by 2030 and increase political support on transboundary water cooperation.

• To share lessons on innovative governance and management in Source to Sea systems of different scales.
• To discuss investment challenges and opportunities to enable sustainable development outcomes in the Source to Sea continuum.
• To identify mechanisms to support the delivery of Sustainable Development Goals at local-to-global scales in recognition of land, river, coastal and marine linkages.

The event is organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) in collaboration with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management (S2S Platform) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Facilitator: Ms Maria Kawahara

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09.30-09.45

Opening remarks and key presentation: S2S insights from the field

Mr. Lifeng Li, Director, Land and Water Division, FAO

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09.45-09.55 

Setting the scene 

Mr Jakob Granit, Director General, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwaM).

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09.55- 10.20

Panel Discussion: Commitment to actions - Reiterating the Water Action Agenda

• Challenges in financial mechanisms to support S2S, Mr Andres Jagerskog, Senior Water Resources Management at the Water Global Practice at the World Bank
• River management: Implementation strategies, challenges and the way forward, Ms. Afire Sever, General Director for Water Management, Turkey
• Challenges in adapting and implementing the S2S approach, Ms Gemma Boag, Director, Water Policy (Strategic Policy Branch), Environment and Climate Change, Canada
• Building the operational framework: Global discourse and country-to-country engagements, Mr. James Dalton, Director, Global Water Programme, The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

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10.20–10.35

Q&A

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10.35–10.45

Wrap-up and closing remarks

Ms Ruth Mathews, Senior Manager and Coordinator, Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management at Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)