Photo: Joel Carillet / Getty
The status quo approach to addressing challenges in water planning is Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). In the past three decades, IWRM has had a profound impact on water planning practices but has not yielded the level of outcomes required to achieve sustainable water for all, falling short on three levels: space, time and scope. The result has been policies that can inadvertently create conflict or ignore gaps in water management.
Through three new pillars (teleconnections, early ecosystem consideration, multi interest- multi participatory approaches) applied in the Magdalena (Colombia) and Mekong (Asia) watersheds, places where SEI has a presence and has developed a strong reputation and body of work, Water Beyond Boundaries (WBB) will introduce new ways of thinking about sustainable water planning.
Our five-year vision is to respond to the central role of water in the global sustainability agendas by addressing key existing gaps in water management to set it on a more equitable and sustainable trajectory.
WBB will also have an important connection to poverty alleviation and gender and social equity. New analytical tools will enable water planners and policymakers to identify inequalities at multiple scales and dimensions of water use, to identify all stakeholders, and to consider innovative management practices that address inequalities.
SEI will identify and analyse the factors that contribute to reduced water access for women and vulnerable groups. This may include inequalities related to water rights, land ownership, and decision-making. Policies that are environmentally sustainable and equitable require a better understanding of connections beyond the watershed, inclusive participatory approaches, and the water needs of ecosystems. WBB aims to deliver that knowledge and the tools to use it.
WBB infographic: SEI
- SEI US Water Program Director
- SEI US
- @MEscobar_Agua
- Research Fellow
- SEI Latin America
- @TANIASA57093116
- Senior Research Fellow
- SEI Asia
- Communications Officer
- SEI Latin America
- Communications
- Research Associate
- SEI Latin America
- @ClaudiaColeoni
- Research Associate
- SEI Asia
- Scientist
- SEI US
- Research Fellow
- SEI Asia
- Senior Research Fellow
- SEI Headquarters
- @biljana_macura
- Senior Research Fellow
- SEI Asia
- @MandalSushmita
- Research Assistant
- SEI Latin America
- Research Associate
- SEI Headquarters
- Senior Scientist
- SEI US
- SEI Asia
- SEI Affiliated Researcher
- Research Fellow
- SEI York
- @AlisonDyke_SEI
- Research Fellow
- SEI Headquarters
- SEI Latin America
- SEI Affiliated Researcher
- @ha_angarita
SEI's researchers host a side event during UN Water Conference to share best practices and evaluate next steps to fulfill the Water Agenda.
- Event
- Water
- 23 March 2023
- United States
SEI uses a tool known as serious games to test water management policies and promote communication among local communities.
- Feature
- Governance
- Water
- 14 September 2022
- Americas
- South America
- Colombia
Rural communities in Colombia's Campoalegre watershed struggle to meet basic needs. SEI researchers aim to connect them to policymakers to improve their lives.
- Feature
- Climate
- Economy
- Governance
- Health
- Land
- Water
- 21 March 2022
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Colombia
A single water narrative may lead to misinterpreting specific local challenges. Explore how SEI's Water Beyond Boundaries initiative aims to transform this.
- Perspective
- Water
- 16 September 2021
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- California
- Colombia
- EU
- Mekong
- South-eastern Asia
- Thailand
- Perspective
- 25 August 2021
Join us to co-create a tangible visualization tool to enable more holistic urban water management and advocate for the human right to water and sanitation.
- Event
- Water
- Economy
- Governance
- 26 August 2021
- 21:00 - 22:25 CEST
- Sweden
- Africa
- Asia
- Americas
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Northern America
How can policymakers and analysts chart a path to earlier and better ecosystems consideration in water resource decisions?
- Feature
- Water
- 15 June 2021
- California
- Colombia
- South-eastern Asia
SEI's Leonie Pearson explains why it is key to move from water government to water governance by involving civil society in Southeast Asia.
- Journal articles
- Water
- 8 October 2020
- South-eastern Asia
Virtual presentation for the European Geosciences Union (EGU) led by Héctor Angarita about resource dependencies of the urban system at multiple scales.
- Other publications
- Water
- 4 May 2020
- Colombia
Handwashing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of Covid-19 provided the poor and vulnerable have access to clean water.
- Perspective
- Health
- Water
- 2 April 2020
- Asia
SEI is introducing new ways of thinking about sustainable water planning through its Water Beyond Boundaries (WBB) initiative.
- SEI briefs
- Water
- 27 November 2020
- Colombia
- Mekong
SEI's Marisa Escobar, Alison Dyke, and Hector Angarita introduce the new SEI Initiative on Water Beyond Boundaries.
- Feature
- Water
- 22 March 2020
- United States of America
- Colombia
- Mekong
SEI is introducing new ways of thinking about sustainable water planning through its Water Beyond Boundaries (WBB) initiative.
- SEI briefs
- Water
- 27 November 2020
- Colombia
- Mekong
The Water Evaluation and Planning tool (WEAP) provides a comprehensive, flexible and user-friendly framework for policy analysis in water resources planning.
- Tool
- Water
- 1 January 2020
- United States of America
- Latin America and the Caribbean
- Africa
- Mekong