High-Level Panel on building resilience from source-to-sea
How can source-to-sea management help us address climate change, environmental degradation, and pollution? This will be discussed on 26 August in a special High-Level Panel with leading experts from both the freshwater and ocean communities.
As part of World Water Week (23-27 August), SIWI and partner organizations of the Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management will host the annual High-Level Panel on source-to-sea management. The panel can be followed on 26 August at 2pm CEST. Register here for World Water Week to take part.
SIWI has been instrumental in developing the concept of source-to-sea management, which is now rapidly gaining traction. Source-to-sea thinking can be an effective response to the crippling fragmentation of governance that prevents us from successfully addressing complex problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, and pollution.
When land, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems are viewed together, it becomes clear that they are interconnected and must be managed holistically. Ocean pollution is, for example, often a consequence of poor wastewater treatment in cities or run-off from farms far away. The problem can only be solved by different sectors acknowledging their role and working together to find solutions.
In the High-Level Panel, thought leaders with different areas of expertise come together to discuss how source-to-sea management can increase resilience by tackling climate change, environmental degradation, and pollution holistically, drawing on practical examples. The session is moderated by Torkil Jønch Clausen, Chair Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management, with Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director SIWI, giving a welcome address.
To help us understand where we are currently at, Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, will give a keynote address. Thereafter a panel of distinguished experts will discuss and take questions from the audience:
- 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, and
- Fatimatou Sall, President of Senegalese Association for Young WASH Professionals.
After the panel the audience will be engaged to obtain reactions of the panel discussions.
The Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) is a leader in source-to-sea management and its Director General Dr. Jakob Granit will wrap up the session.
Sign up for World Water Week to join the High-Level Panel and more than 400 other interesting sessions. Register here – free of charge.
