Humanity is facing serious challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation and pollution that have proven to be too complex to be effectively confronted by the traditional approaches of isolated responses. The source-to-sea approach to management presents an alternative to these fragmented actions.

By bringing together upstream/downstream actors from different sectors, land, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems can be managed holistically, thereby realizing the greatest benefits for the system as a whole. A resilient future depends on all levels of government and decision makers, in partnership with the private sector and civil society, pulling together to drive meaningful change, uniting policy and action for coordinated management.

A diverse panel of high-level actors will make an urgent call for adopting the source-to-sea approach to reduce fragmentation and foster collaboration across all levels of governance and between sectors. In a world facing climate change, recurrent crises and pandemics, this session will bring together thought leaders, policymakers and practitioners representing various sectors from the freshwater and ocean communities to share their vision, reinforced by concrete experiences, of how we can act hand in hand to successfully tackle these challenges and build resilience.

Programme

Opening

• Torkil Jønch Clausen, Chair Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management

Welcome

• Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director of Stockholm International Water Institute

Keynote presentation

• Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Panel discussion on building resilience from source to sea:

• Moderator: Torkil Jønch Clausen, Chair Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management
• Sandra Postel, Global Water Policy Project and 2021 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate
• Rüdiger Strempel, the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission – HELCOM)
• Dr. Mary Matthews, Ocean Advisor and Ocean Innovation Challenge Manager for UNDP
• Fatimatou Sall, President of Senegalese Association for Young WASH Professionals

Interaction with the audience

• Moderator: Torkil Jønch Clausen, Chair Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management

Summary and wrap-up

• Dr. Jakob Granit, Director General of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM)

Close of session

• Torkil Jønch Clausen, Chair Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management

End of session