CFP

RHAR 2025: 4th International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration

Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi

Varanasi, India, October 29-November 1, 2025

Conference website	https://conferences.iitbhu.ac.in/rhar
Submission link	https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rhar2025
Poster	download
Acceptance of Abstracts and Start of Early Bird Registration	August 1, 2025
Abstract Submission Deadline for Oral and Poster Presentations	August 31, 2025
Submission deadline	August 31, 2025
Deadline for Submission of Full Papers	September 30, 2025
End of Early Bird Registration	September 30, 2025
Deadline for Submission of Revised Papers	October 10, 2025
Notification for finalized speakers in the Conference	October 15, 2025
Final Schedule Notification	October 25, 2025
RHAR 2025 Brochure	https://conferences.iitbhu.ac.in/rhar/docs/brochure_rhar.pdf

Topics: environmental engineering civil and water resource engineering river health assessment and restoration wastewater treatment and technologies

4^th International Conference on River Health: Assessment to Restoration (RHAR 2025)

Website: https://conferences.iitbhu.ac.in/rhar

Theme

Restoration of Small Rivers:

Application of Advanced Tools and Technologies, with

Convergence of Policies and Programs

October 30 – November 01, 2025

Organized by

Department of Civil Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi

Smart Laboratory of Clean Rivers (SLCR), IIT (BHU)

Under Namami Gange and Embassy of Denmark

with

Ministry of Jal Shakti, India

Proposed Associate Partners

ISRO

UBA

Indian River Council

International Associate Partners

IC-IMPACTS, Canada

SPRING

Indo Nordic EU Water Forum

Embassy of Finland, New Delhi

Australia India Water Centre (AIWC)

BRIDGE Project, UiT Norway

Academic Partners

MNNIT Allahabad

BBAU Lucknow

NIT Patna

IIT Patna

Aarhus University

University of Copenhagen

Background

1^st International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2019)

2^nd International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2021)

3^rd International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2023)

4^th International Conference on ‘River Health: Assessment to Restoration’ (RHAR 2025)

List of Domains in RHAR 2025

Seven broad domains of discussion include:

D1. Application of Advanced Technologies for Wastewater Treatment

D2. Application of Advance Tool and Techniques for Data Collection & Monitoring

D3. Groundwater Management for Small River Rejuvenation

D4. Holistic Approaches for Small River Rejuvenation

D5. Decision Support System & Models

D6. Monitoring of Emerging Contaminants in Small Rivers and Challenges for their Remediation

D7. Documentation and Convergence of Policy, Programs, Community participation & Capacity building

Topics under domains may include (but not limited to)

D1. Application of Advanced Technologies & Techniques for wastewater treatment & management

Restoring Urban Streams through Wastewater Interventions
Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems
Nature based Solutions for Wastewater Treatment
Blue-Green Infrastructure for Resilient Water Systems
Reuse of STP Effluent
Pollution Load Reduction Strategies and Point vs. Non-point Source Control

D2. Application of Advance tool and techniques for data collection & monitoring

Real-time Tracking of Water Quality Parameters
Early Warning Systems for Pollution or Habitat Degradation
Smart IoT based Monitoring Systems for Urban Drainage and Pollution Control
Application of Advanced Instruments for Water Quality Parameters, ex ICP-MS
Non-Targeted Analysis
Biological Indicators and Biomonitoring of River
3D Modelling and UAV based Techniques
Non-invasive tracking of aquatic species

D3. Groundwater dynamics & management for small river rejuvenation

Groundwater Modelling for Scenario Planning and Risk Assessment
Integrated Ground Water Management for River Rejuvenation
Tools like MODFLOW, HEC-RAS and SWAT to assess Restoration Scenarios
River-Aquifer Exchanges and Tools
Simulation of Natural Flow Regimes and Flood Dynamics
Sustaining Baseflow: Groundwater’s Role in River Systems

Recharge Strategies under Changing Climate and Land Use
Community-Based Groundwater Stewardship and Monitoring
Addressing Groundwater Contamination at Source and Scale

D4. Holistic approaches and real field cases for small river rejuvenation:

Nature-based Solutions for Soil and Water Conservation
Land Use Planning and Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Catchments
Erosion Control and Sediment Management Strategies
Ecological Flow Assessment and Maintenance
Restoration of Riparian Zones and Aquatic Habitats
Linking Water Quality Improvements with Biodiversity Enhancement
Assessment of Ecological Health and Recovery Post-Restoration
Case Studies demonstrating convergence in action: Real-world success stories of coordinated efforts in river rejuvenation, showcasing collaborative efforts

D5. Decision Support System and Models:

Integration of Multidisciplinary Data for Planning and Stakeholder Engagement
Scenario Analysis for Sustainable Management Strategies
Scenario Modeling and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
Stakeholder-driven Decision-Making Frameworks using DSS Tools
Predictive Modeling for Erosion, Pollution Load, and Flow Patterns
Decision-Making Support for Site Prioritization and Intervention Design

D6. Monitoring of Emerging Contaminants in Small Rivers and Challenges for their Remediation

Monitoring of Emerging contaminants, like Microplastics, Persistent Organic Pollutants, Heavy Metals in small rivers
Advanced Technological Tools for Detection and Analysis of Emerging Contaminants
Policy Landscape for Regulation of Emerging Contaminants in India
Remediation Techniques and Strategies for Emerging Contaminants in the Context of Small River Systems
Fate and Transport of Emerging Contaminants in Small Rivers, Role of Riparian Ecosystems and their Degradation Mechanisms
Bioaccumulation of Emerging Contaminants and their Effect on Riverine Ecosystems

D7. Documentation and Convergence of Policy, Programs, Community Participation & Capacity Building

Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) for Small Rivers: Planning catchment-wide actions with community-based and ecosystem-centered approaches
National Missions and Flagship Programs: Finding opportunities in national initiatives like Jal Shakti Abhiyan, MGNREGS, Atal Bhujal Yojana, Catch the Rain, PMKSY, and Namami Gange for small rivers restoration
Roles of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies: For planning, executing, and monitoring restoration work with accountability for small rivers and water bodies
Financing Models for Small River Restoration: Exploring models for pooling financial resources from government schemes, CSR, PPPs, and climate finance for sustainable river rejuvenation
Institutional Mechanisms for Multi-sectoral Coordination: Establishing formal structures for inter-departmental and inter-institutional collaboration across sectors impacting river ecosystems
Policy Innovations and Regulatory Frameworks: Developing enabling laws, norms, and guidelines to support river-friendly land use, ecological flows, and integrated water governance
Community Participation and Social Accountability: Engaging communities through participatory processes, traditional knowledge, citizen science, and local monitoring systems

D8. Other Contemporary Research Domains

Water Balance Status in Urban Centres under Smart Cities Mission of India
Visions, Initiatives, and Success examples towards Water Smart Cities
Case Studies of Storm Water Management, Reclaimed Water Reuse, Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR)
Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and Circular Economy
Drinking water contaminants, Evaluation of sorbents or catalysts for removal of common contaminants
Valorization, bioremediation, disinfection, and reuse
Ecological Risk Assessment of Rivers, Lakes, etc.
Ecological indices of river health and conceptual frameworks on world rivers
Exemplary initiatives and success examples of river restoration studies
Groundwater monitoring and modelling, R-A exchanges, landfill leachate effects etc.

D9. Workshop of BRIDGE Project: Technologies in Water Safety

UiT and the participating organizations in BRIDGE Project will share the experiences gained in their collaborative research work and highlight the concerns and socio-economic challenges of implementing emerging technology such as microbial fuel cell (MFC) in Water Safety.

Call for Abstracts

All abstracts and papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. Following paper categories are welcome:

Abstract
Full Paper with Abstract
Abstract for Posters

Submission Guidelines

Authors are cordially invited to submit the Abstract (max. 300 words, Font: Times New Roman 12pt, 1.5 spacing, along with full address/affiliation) briefing the content of works on any of the topics related to thematic areas of RHAR 2025. Information about the submission portal will be shared soon.

All accepted abstracts and papers will be compiled for publication to provide a database for policy directions, future planning and programs for ensuring better river health in India, G20 nations and other countries with similar socioeconomic and climatic conditions.

The Proceedings of the Conference is planned to be published with Scopus Indexed Publication Houses.

Important Dates

Acceptance of Abstracts and Start of Early Bird Registration	Aug. 01, 2025
Abstract Submission Deadline for Oral and Poster Presentations	Aug. 31, 2025
Deadline for Submission of Full Papers	Sept. 30, 2025
End of Early Bird Registration	Sept. 30, 2025
Notification for finalized speakers in the Conference	Oct. 15, 2025
Final Schedule Notification	Oct. 25, 2023
Dates of the Conference	Oct. 30-Nov. 01, 2025

Registration & Fee Payment

Authors of accepted abstracts and participants need to register through the official website of RHAR 2025 (https://conferences.iitbhu.ac.in/rhar). The participation fee is as follows:

Registration Category	Early Bird Registration (Till Sep. 30, 2025)*	Registration after Oct.01, 2025**
Indian Industry Partners/ Research Organizations	INR 10000 +18% GST = INR 11800	INR 12900
Indian Academicians	INR 6000 +18% GST = INR 7080	INR 7800
Indian Students	INR 2500 +18% GST = INR 2950	INR 3250
International Industry Partners/ Research Organizations/ Academicians	US$ 300 + 18% GST = US$ 354	US$ 390
International Students	US$ 150 + 18% GST = US$ 177	US$ 195

*Registration fee includes access to all sessions of the conference, a digital copy of conference proceedings and lunch.

*Registration Fee is exclusive of bank charges, if any. Such additional charges will be paid by the participant.

** Inclusive of GST/VAT.

All the registration fees, financial grants and sponsorships for the purpose of the Conference will be accepted only through Bank/Electronic/Wire Transfer.

Name of the Account Holder -Registrar, IIT (BHU) Varanasi

Complete Address - Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India – 221005, Ph: +91 542 2307002, 2367780

Name of the Bank -State Bank of India

Account Number –32778803937

A/C name – IIT (BHU)-Main Account (Institute Development Fund)

Type of Account – Current

IFSC CODE: SBIN0011445 (Domestic delegates may use this code for NEFT Transfer)

MICR Code: 221002036, SWIFT Code: SBININBB125 (for International delegates)

Bank Address - State Bank of India, IT-BHU Branch, Branch code-11445, IIT (BHU) Varanasi-221005, UP, India, Ph-0542-2369181

Note: Once the payment is confirmed, we request you to kindly send us soft copy of your payment receipt through the email: rhar@iitbhu.ac.in

Refund Policy: Request for Registration Fee Refund in case of cancellation may not be possible under Institute Regulations.

For Queries & Communications

Prof. Prabhat Kumar Singh,

Convener, RHAR 2025

Department of Civil Engineering, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, UP- 221005;

M: +91-9958189771

Email: rhar@iitbhu.ac.in