Freshwater systems support various orders of animals, plants, fungi and algae, contributing to almost 10% of all the species and 35% of all the vertebrates described to date. The anthropogenic pressures and threats have resulted in the decline of freshwater biodiversity at an alarming rate. One of the major gaps in freshwater biodiversity conservation is a lack of data on species distribution, its use and conservation challenges, especially in tropical regions. These resources, however, are under threat due to several anthropogenic activities such as exploitation, pollution, urbanisation and climate change. All these threats will have serious consequences on the freshwater resources and, thus, the livelihoods of the communities dependent on the riverine ecosystems. The project was formulated to assess the ecosystem services provided by the Chakpi River to the local communities and develop an action plan for the conservation of the river and sustainable use of its freshwater fish and invertebrate resources with the help of local communities and extensive stakeholder consultation. The major outcome of the project will be to develop a comprehensive action plan for the conservation of the river system based on the stakeholder, an action plan for setting up a community conservation reserve and sustainable use of freshwater resources within the river system.