Water quality management from source to sea: from global commitments to coordinated implementation

This article reviews links and gaps related to water quality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It uses these as a starting point to analyze challenges in water quality management at national and basin levels from a ‘source to sea’ perspective. Experiences in the Danube River, Black Sea, East Asian Seas and the Baltic highlight key issues to be addressed during the implementation of the agenda to achieve water quality objectives in fresh, coastal and marine waters. It assesses priorities for supplementary actions to be supported to improve prospects for achieving targets in these areas.