
COLLECTIVE WISDOM TO BUILD RESILIENCE FOR ALL
By taking action to rebuild and renew connections, restore and replenish the sources of life, we can transform how we interact with water — cultivating a just and regenerative future where people and ecosystems thrive for generations to come.
Meet Ruth Mathews
A visionary leader in water sustainability, I bring three decades of experience addressing critical global water challenges through innovation, collaboration, and game-changing solutions.
I have worked with some of the most influential organizations in the field.
As Source-to-Sea Programme Lead at Stockholm International Water Institute and Coordinator of the Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management, I drove the promotion of holistic management of land, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems and worked to accelerate the adoption of source-to-sea management at global, regional, national, and subnational levels.
As Executive Director, I established the Water Footprint Network as a reputable centre of excellence advancing the application of Water Footprint Assessment for companies, governments, and individuals.
My leadership of the Worldwide Fund for Nature’s Conservation Programme in Vietnam had me managing a broad portfolio of projects focused on nature conservation and restoration, sustainable production, and alternative livelihoods.
I joined forces with leaders in freshwater conservation to spearhead Ecologically Sustainable Water Management at The Nature Conservancy.
Leveraging my deep expertise in translating science into action, I have consistently pioneered initiatives that drive systemic change across sectors and geographies. My work has set benchmarks for holistic water governance, fostered collaborative solutions that improve ecosystem health and secure livelihoods, and advanced the adoption of policies that address pressing global challenges.
My ability to design transformative scalable solutions positions me as an inspiring force for creating a just and regenerative future.

Regenerative Wisdom — Inspired by Water
Like water, wisdom flows through generations and geographies, shaped by time and experience. Nature teaches us that people, ecosystems, and economies are part of one living, connected whole.
Listening to water, to diverse voices, drawing on shared wisdom, we can design strategies that don’t just sustain—but regenerate.
This is the wisdom we need now: rooted in nature, awakened by experience, and carried forward by collective intention.

Water — it is worth talking about
Understanding Source-to-Sea Management
Journey of Water from Source to Sea
Partners
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Lead Author, Guidance Note for the Implemention of Source-to-Sea Management in Transboundary Basins, for the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. (active)
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Lead Author, How to Apply the Source-to-Sea Approach in GEF IW Projects, for IW:LEARN. (active)
Royal Institute of International Affairs
Advisor, Fair Water Footprints, for ‘Chatham House’. (active)

Let’s bring bold ideas to life and create the momentum we need to drive transformative change.

Join me in shaping a future where ecosystems thrive from source to sea, communities flourish, and collective action catalyzes change.
Explore my approach, reach out, and be part of the movement to unleash regenerative wisdom.
Connect with me today.