Resilient River Ghod: Restoring the Lifeline

Flowing through the western ghats of Maharashtra, the Ghod River is a lifeline for millions of people and countless species. Over time, deforestation, soil erosion, and degraded water bodies weakened the river’s ability to sustain communities leaving villages dependent on tankers and uncertain monsoons. The Resilient River Ghod Program, led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) India, in partnership with local implementation organizations and research institutions, is working towards long-term freshwater resilience in India. Resilient River Ghod: Restoring the Lifeline tells the story of how communities, scientists, and conservation partners came together to revive the Ghod River’s upstream catchment using nature-based solutions and participatory planning. The film captures not just ecological transformation, but also a deeper shift in which communities reclaim stewardship of their landscapes, water security improves, and a scalable model for river basin restoration begins to take shape. The project is a story of science, partnership, and people showing that when we heal rivers, we heal futures.