Abu Dhabi, 26 October 2026: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) participated in the 11th GEF Biennial International Waters Conference (IWC11), organised by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Bali, Indonesia, where Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of EAD and Vice Chair of the Global Council on SDG 14, was among the keynote speakers at the opening ceremony.
On the sidelines of the conference, EAD held the third chapter of its global Source-to-Sea initiative, with Dr Al Dhaheri leading a side event titled “From Source to Large Marine Ecosystems: Where Water Meets Life”.
During the session, Dr Al Dhaheri presented Abu Dhabi’s experience in managing water resources under a unified, integrated system. She highlighted the role of evidence-based governance in linking freshwater management with the protection of marine ecosystems, bridging the ambitions of SDG 6 on clean water and SDG 14 on life below water.
EAD’s global Source-to-Sea initiative brings together policymakers, scientists, international organisations and industry leaders to advance integrated water governance, built on the principle of managing water as the connected system that nature intended, from inland sources and aquifers to coasts and the ocean. It also showcases Abu Dhabi’s Source-to-Sea model, which combines circular water management with marine conservation.
Launched by EAD at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York in July, the initiative continued in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in September before reaching Bali, building momentum towards the 2026 UN Water Conference, which the UAE will co-host in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December.