Evaluate UN budgets and programmes as an AI Secretary-General

Preventing and addressing the degradation of freshwater and marine ecosystems from source to sea

Healthy freshwater and marine ecosystems are essential to address the triple planetary crises of climate, nature, and pollution. However, an increasing number of anthropogenic activities have led to rising pollution and degradation of these ecosystems. An integrated approach is needed to address ecosystem degradation and pollution across the water cycle. The Source to Sea approach addresses the linkages between land, water, delta, estuary, coast, nearshore and ocean ecosystems, recognizing their deep interconnections in a holistic way. UNEP has spearheaded Source to Sea approaches since 1996 through the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA), and more recently through the implementation of the project “Protecting the Marine Environment from Land-based Pollution through Strengthened Coordination of Global Action - Project 522.4”. The implementation of this project had increased the global coordination for responses to land-based sources of pollution. Despite this, many challenges remain. The project “Preventing and addressing the degradation of freshwater and marine ecosystems from source to sea” takes on these challenges. Its objective is to strengthen global to local action through the implementation of a Source to Sea approach to protect freshwater and marine ecosystems, by addressing land and sea-based degradation from wastewater , nutrients, and the physical alteration and destruction of habitats. This will be attained by the achievement of three interconnected outcomes: 1. Countries protect freshwater and marine ecosystems from land and sea-based harmful activities through strengthened policies, plans and strategies 2. Good practices, including financial options, to protect fresh water and marine ecosystems from land and sea-based activities are used, scaled-up, and replicated, at global, regional, and national levels 3. Stakeholders make informed decisions based on scientific evidence and technical information to prevent ecosystem degradation and pollution. The project will contribute to delivering UNEP’s 2022-2025 MTS mostly under the Nature and Pollution sub-programmes. Specifically, the project will deliver results under UNEP’s PoW Direct Outcomes: 2.8 A sustainable ocean and coastal economy contributes to prosperity and pollution-free development; 3.2 Land-based sources of pollution in fresh water and oceans, including marine litter and nutrients, are reduced; and 3.7 Resilient waste and wastewater systems and infrastructures are upscaled. The project will be instrumental for UNEP to answer requests from Member States under UNEA resolutions: 6/16 Water Policies, 6/18 Ocean, 6/15 Armed Conflicts, 6/13 Air Quality (through UNEP Working Group on Nitrogen), 6/5 Environmental aspects of Mineral and Metals, 5/12 Sustainable Management of Mineral and Metals, 5/2 and 4/14. Sustainable Nitrogen Management; 4/11. Protection of the marine environment from land-based activities; and 3/10. Addressing water pollution to protect and restore water-related ecosystems. The project could also act as means to support fast-track implementation of future potential resolutions of UNEA 6 related to the topics addressed here, such as nutrients, including phosphorus, and physical degradation of ecosystems, including sand extraction. The project is expected to support countries, especially SIDS and LCDs, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target 6.3 “By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally”; target 14.1 “By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, especially land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution”; and target 17.16 “Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development”. The project will also support countries in the implementation and delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), specifically its target 7 “Reduce pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources, by 2030”. The project also aims to support countries deliver on the adaptation and mitigation goals of the Paris Agreement, especially in relation to the reduction of GHG emissions through sustainable wastewater and nutrient management, and to strengthen the resilience of societies to adapt to climate change (i.e., by reducing degradation of ecosystems, or promote the reuse of water, nutrients, and energy from wastewater). The ambitious, yet realistic, expected results of this project will be achieved by using UNEP’s convening power for the promotion of enabling environments to prevent, reduce, control, and eliminate freshwater and marine degradation resulting from land and sea-based activities. UNEP’s Source to Sea Pollution Unit, under the Ecosystems Division,