A new form of geopolitics embracing cooperative solutions for ecosystem and freshwater distribution management is essential. Environmental consequences, high-value ecosystems, and sustainability security are often hidden from view of global politics. This session draws attention to the political economy benefits of resolving ecosystem challenges through progressing the SDG 6 debate - freshwater ecosystems are essential to human health, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity – and the security implications of escalating resource use. These combined challenges move us dangerously close to the 'planetary boundaries'. Ecosystems and water bodies are reaching ‘closed’ status, and increasing infrastructure investments in developing countries necessitates trade-offs. Shared ecosystems create subnational, national or regional interdependencies with public goods-neglect or overexploitation leading to cooperative and/or conflicting outcomes. The broader socio-political context and relations between communities, sectors, or countries are the determinants. An emerging consequence is increased migration as people seek to live closer to critical, healthy natural resources.