Source-to-sea Programme

SIWI is a leading expert on source-to-sea management, which offers new tools to make societies more sustainable and prosperous. By managing source-to-sea systems holistically, we can ensure that decisions in one place do not have unintended negative consequences further downstream.

2016 · Now active

Contact us

Thomas Rebermark

Director Swedish Water House and International Policy

thomas.rebermark@siwi.org +46 (0)72 0506 085

Today’s governance structures are often too fragmented to be effective. Decisions in one place have serious and unintended impacts elsewhere, like when rivers and oceans are polluted by waste from cities or chemicals from farms and industries. This harms people and nature, making it difficult to effectively tackle climate change, pollution, the degradation of nature, and poverty.

The source-to-sea approach offers a more effective form of governance, which recognizes how different natural systems are interlinked and invites many different stakeholders to co-create solutions.

SIWI is a leading champion of source-to-sea governance and an expert in its implementation. We run pilot projects, generate new knowledge, organize training, and host the Source-to-Sea Platform with like-minded organizations.

Source-to-sea projects

Aerial view of the Bekta river mouth, meeting the ocean in Victoria, Eastern Australia

Healthy Rivers, Healthy Ocean

Endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science, 'Healthy Rivers, Healthy Ocean' (HRHO) is a source-to-sea action programme delivered by Global Water Partnership (GWP), UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and SIWI.

Foundations for source-to-sea management

This project established the foundations for source-to-sea management in two locations, expanded practical guidance, methods and tools through pilot testing the source-to-sea approach and captured and disseminated results and learning nationally, regionally, and globally.

Japanese bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam. Photo by Minh Hai

Source-to-sea framework for marine litter prevention

The source-to-sea framework for Marine Litter Prevention takes a holistic view of the sources of and solutions to the problem of marine litter. It provides a framework for preventing marine litter based on the source-to-sea approach.

Design and accountability for source-to-sea action on plastic

This project is based on the fundamental principles of the source-to-sea framework for marine litter prevention and applied in two locations - Hawassa in Ethiopia and Hoi An in Vietnam.

Join the Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management

The S2S Platform is a multi-stakeholder initiative to exchange and generate knowledge, and support joint action for improved management of land, water, coastal and marine linkages.

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