This article concludes a three-part research series exploring river ontologies and epistemologies within urban landscapes. Through the philosophical constructs of Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar’s Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT) and Neohumanism and employing Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), the study reimagines the intricate connection between rivers and cities. According to Sarkar, rivers are not merely hydrologic assets or entities, they are the backbones of human civilization: serving as chroniclers of history and shaping language, culture, spirituality, and ecology. PROUT envisions rivers as shared resources managed through decentralized, rational and cooperative methods to enhance collective well-being and ecological fairness. Neohumanism broadens this perspective ethically and spiritually, advocating for a connected and empathetic relationship with rivers as sacred entities, worthy of our affection, reverence, and stewardship.
The study critiques dominant technocratic and anthropocentric paradigms that commodify rivers and sever the relational bonds between communities and waterways. It proposes instead a transformative future scenario, The River of Dharma, in which river–city governance is participatory, ecologically grounded, and culturally regenerative. Through the recognition of Indigenous knowledge frameworks, the re-establishment of ecological cycles, and the nurturing of a spiritual bond with rivers, this endeavor outlines pathways towards equitable, sustainable, and relational urban–river futures. Drawing from the author’s Global South positionality and deep engagement with Sarkar’s philosophies, the article contributes to decolonial futures thinking by foregrounding rivers as relational agents at the intersection of history, ecology, and spiritual evolution. The text provides an ontological and epistemological shift for academics, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to rejuvenate urban river systems as spaces of community, stewardship, and cultural flourishing.