Connect · Knowledge Base

Playbooks for river cleanup, restoration, and monitoring.

Practical guides drawn from real initiatives on the platform. Read what worked — and what didn't — before you start your own.

Cleanup MethodsRestoration TechniquesMonitoring ApproachesCase StudiesPolicy & Frameworks
Policy & Frameworks · 14 min read

Permissions checklist by initiative type — India focus

Before you cleanup, restore, or monitor a river, who do you actually need to ask? A practical, per-initiative-type checklist of permits, the issuing authority, and where to apply — covering local, state, and central agencies.

Vivafons editorial · 2026Read →
Cleanup Methods · 8 min read

Plastic interception with floating barriers

When to use rope-and-mesh barriers vs. permanent booms, anchoring depth, and waste-handling logistics from Sungai Watch and Ocean Cleanup case data.

Vivafons editorial · 2026
Cleanup Methods · 12 min read

Volunteer-led ghat and bank cleanups: planning a Sankat Mochan-style monthly drive

Site selection, partner outreach, PPE and waste segregation, before/after photo discipline, and reporting cadence.

Adapted from Sankat Mochan Foundation, Varanasi
Restoration Techniques · 10 min read

Riparian afforestation: species selection by basin

Native species recommendations for Ganges, Yangtze, and Mekong floodplains, drawing on Yamuna Biodiversity Park outcomes.

Vivafons editorial · 2026
Restoration Techniques · 9 min read

Bioengineering for canal embankments — Singapore ABC Waters lessons

Replacing concrete drains with vegetated channels: hydraulic design, plant choice, and 5-year maintenance review.

Adapted from PUB Singapore
Monitoring Approaches · 15 min read

Setting up a citizen water-quality programme

Choosing test kits (DO, BOD, turbidity, faecal coliform), training cadence, data flow, and what to do when readings cross thresholds.

Vivafons editorial · 2026
Monitoring Approaches · 18 min read

Sentinel-2 NDVI baselines for riparian health

A 30-minute workflow to pull NDVI for any river reach from Sentinel-2 and establish a seasonal baseline.

Vivafons editorial · 2026
Case Studies · 14 min read

Citarum Harum: military-led basin rehabilitation, four years in

What worked (industrial pollution enforcement), what stalled (household sewage), and what the 2018 decree got right and wrong.

Vivafons case study
Case Studies · 11 min read

Thames21 at 30 — sustaining a city-wide volunteer network

Governance, funding mix, and how Thames21 keeps 8,000 active volunteers engaged across a metropolitan basin.

Adapted from Thames21 annual reports
Policy & Frameworks · 13 min read

Yangtze River Protection Law (2021) explained

The 10-year fishing ban, ecological red lines across 11 provinces, and how the law restructured river governance.

Vivafons editorial · 2026
Policy & Frameworks · 16 min read

Filing under the Indian Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act

How to file a complaint against a polluter with State Pollution Control Boards, with templates and example timelines.

Vivafons editorial · 2026
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