Monitoring rivers using bioindicators provide the most integrative view of river health. With increasing industrialization, population growth, land use changes and developmental challenges, the natural ability of rivers to provide goods and services have been severely curtailed. This proposal is designed to train a cohort of Indian stakeholders – policy makers, scientists and practitioners –and members of Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) -the grass root level body for implementation of India’s Biodiversity Act along the districts through the river Pampa flows. A 3-day use-inspired theory and 2-day solution- oriented river expedition are prime features of the training (for the participants except the grassroot level bodies). The hands-on activities will include transect studies of a major Kerala river, Pampa, starting from its hilly watershed, populated mid-plains and the lower Kuttanad and the Vembanad lake in the backwaters of the Arabian sea. Along with the anthropogenic pressures, climate change related sea level rise also aggravates the lake situation. The participants will be trained intensely for the critical river health assessment parameters like catchment health, Biota health, Flood plain health, Flow health, and River channel health. Lake system is one of India’s most unique Ramsar sites lying 0.6 to 2.2 meters below sea level, and is Kerala’s famed ‘rice bowl’. The participants will be trained by scientists from India, and abroad. The grassroot level training will be conducted for the local bodies across the region after the National level training. The sustainability of the activities will be followed-up through technical support and by linking participants to India’s Long-Term Ecological Observatory (I-LTEO) program launched at the ‘Paris Climate Conference 2015’to monitor eco-sensitive and bio-diverse sites, aimed at promoting national sustainable development.