As we approach the mid-point of the UN SDGs, it is important to note that several countries within sub-Saharan Africa are off pace for attaining the 2030 objectives. This is true for the most basic water and sanitation targets of SDG-6 (on water), and it is even more so when considering the affiliated pollution control, avoided overuse, integrated water management, and ecosystem integrity components of the Goal. In this context, several important calls to action on the joint use of nature-based infrastructure with traditional engineering  for sustainable water development have materialized across the highest levels of government, business, and civil society. The imperative considers moving from a nearly sole reliance on engineering to blended green-gray systems that could serve as mutually reinforcing water management levers. By working directly with regional policy experts and translating basic research findings produced by the eNetwork partners into a simplified portfolio of water management tradeoffs and options, decisionmakers can rapidly evaluate the risks and tradeoffs of their future decisions. As but one example of the eNetwork’s science-to-practice aims, we build on existing affiliations with government representatives, for example, as convened by the Secretariat of a multi-national sustainability effort (Gaborone Declaration). Others included below.