• The Ridge to Reef (R2R) approach is a ‘‘whole-of-ecosystem’ or integrated management approach.
  • In Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), Ridge to Reef refers to integrated approaches to freshwater and coastal area management emphasizing the inter-connections between the natural and social systems from the mountain ‘ridges’ of volcanic islands, through coastal watersheds and habitats, and across coastal lagoons to the fringing ‘reef’ environments associated with most PSIDS.
  • Given the close inter-connections between land, water and coastal systems in PSIDS, the integration of freshwater watershed management with coastal area management is essential to foster effective cross-sectoral coordination in the planning and management of land, water and coastal uses.
  • Inherent in the Ridge to Reef approach is the philosophy of cross-sectoral coordination in the planning and management of freshwater use, sanitation, wastewater treatment and pollution control, sustainable land use and forestry practices, balancing coastal livelihoods and biodiversity conservation, hazard risk reduction, and climate variability and change.
  • This integration of communities, stakeholders, and national governments within such a cross-sectoral planning framework is described by PSIDS as a ‘Community to Cabinet’ approach.
  • The emphasis of the Community to Cabinet approach has been on the effective engagement and participation of stakeholders in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of initiatives aimed at fostering integrated approaches to natural resource and environmental management in PSIDS.