Clean Rivers

What Clean Rivers does

Clean Rivers is a UAE-based global non-profit foundation founded in 2024 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, operating as a portfolio entity under Erth Zayed Philanthropies under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The organization is dedicated to addressing riverine plastic pollution through three interconnected program areas: river cleanup (funding projects to clean and restore polluted river systems), waste management (supporting sustainable waste management infrastructure), and resource recovery and recycling (advancing innovations in plastic recovery). It does not develop proprietary technology products; its core work is funding, convening, and facilitating collaborative projects that foster circular economies to reduce waste leakage into waterways while creating socio-economic opportunities for local communities.

Clean Rivers' business model is that of a grant-funded non-profit rather than a commercial enterprise. Its capital base derives primarily from a US$20 million UAE government commitment to Indonesia initiatives, channeled through implementation partnerships with multilateral and development organizations including the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, Project STOP (a Borealis and Systemiq joint initiative), and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The organization serves government entities (UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Indonesian Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs, Philippines government), riverine communities in target geographies, and international development partners. It does not sell products or services and does not disclose pricing or revenue.

The organization operates across three primary geographies: Indonesia (where its US$20M program is concentrated, including the Banyuwangi regency-wide waste management system serving 850,000+ people and creating up to 1,000 jobs), the Philippines (Pasig River rehabilitation partnership announced February 2025), and Brazil (Ellen MacArthur Foundation partnership for circular economy transition announced September 2025). It maintains a small staff of 11–50 employees led by CEO Deborah Backus, and pursues visibility through international forums including COP29, the World Government Summit 2025, Indonesia Sustainability Forum, and New York Climate Week.

Name

Clean Rivers

Legal name

Clean Rivers LTD

Website

https://cleanrivers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clean Rivers is a UAE-based global non-profit founded in 2024 that funds and facilitates projects tackling riverine plastic pollution across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil, operating under Erth Zayed Philanthropies with anchor funding from the UAE government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI)

Keywords

• River pollution cleanup
• Waste management systems
• Circular economy initiatives
• Plastic pollution prevention
• Environmental nonprofit funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Abu Dhabi

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding and Grants: Clean Rivers operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through philanthropic contributions, government grants, and international development funding. The organization receives support from the UAE government and operates as a portfolio entity under Erth Zayed Philanthropies.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Clean Rivers is a global non-profit that funds and facilitates collaborative projects fostering circular economies to reduce waste leakage into waterways. It operates three interconnected program areas — River Clean Up, Waste Management, and Resource Recovery & Recycling — primarily in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines) and Latin America (Brazil). The organization serves as the official implementation partner for bilateral government environmental initiatives, channeling government grants and philanthropic funding into partner-led projects that build sustainable waste management infrastructure and clean polluted river systems.

Product overview

Clean Rivers is a global non-profit organization dedicated to transforming rivers into catalysts for sustainable development. Rather than a traditional product portfolio, Clean Rivers operates three interconnected program areas: River Cleanup Programs (funding projects to clean and restore polluted river systems), Waste Management Systems (supporting efficient and sustainable waste management infrastructure), and Resource Recovery & Recycling (advancing innovations in plastic recovery and recycling). These programs work together to foster circular economies that reduce waste leakage into waterways while creating socio-economic opportunities for local communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• River Clean Up
• Waste Management Systems
• Resource Recovery & Recycling

Quantifiable outcome

• Prevent 30,000 tons of plastic waste from entering the ocean every year in Indonesia
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ellen MacArthur FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2025Partnership to develop a scalable model supporting a just transition to circularity in Brazil, ensuring freshwater systems are free from waste pollution and advancing inclusive socio-economic benefits. Joint roundtable during New York Climate Week focused on systemic shifts needed to accelerate circular economy transition and engage stakeholders in addressing household waste systems gaps.
• Project STOP (Borealis and Systemiq)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2025Financial agreement to fund the third phase expansion of Project STOP Banyuwangi Hijau programme in East Java, Indonesia. The partnership will fund waste management infrastructure development, plastic recycling, organics management, behaviour change initiatives, and capacity-building. This creates Indonesia's first regency-wide integrated waste management system serving over 850,000 people and creating 1,000 jobs.
• Government of PhilippinesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2025Landmark partnership between UAE and Philippines to rehabilitate the Pasig River. Clean Rivers serves as implementing partner for this bilateral initiative to address riverine plastic pollution in the Philippines.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2024MoU signed at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan to collaborate on preventing plastic waste entering Asian and Pacific oceans from river systems. Partnership focuses on strengthening awareness of plastic pollution challenges, fostering circular economy programs in local communities, and piloting cutting-edge technologies for river clean-up and waste management.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2024Strategic partnership to address plastic pollution in Indonesia's rivers. Over three years, the partnership aims to remove 5,000 tons of plastic from six riverine areas (Kali Bekasi, Kali Mas, Porong, Bengawan Solo, Tukad Mati, and Tukad Badung) through debris removal and preventative measures. Clean Rivers provides funding to UNDP for the project as part of the US$20 million UAE commitment to Indonesia.
• Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the UAEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2024Clean Rivers serves as official implementation partner for MoU signed between UAE and Indonesian governments to tackle plastic waste leakage into oceans. The partnership commits up to US$20 million to Indonesia initiatives targeting prevention of 30,000 tons of plastic entering the ocean annually. Cooperation areas include capacity building, stakeholder awareness, circular waste systems design, and river cleanups.
• Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investment Affairs of IndonesiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2024Government counterpart for bilateral MoU with UAE to establish framework for collaboration on tackling plastic waste around Indonesia. Partnership focuses on exchanging information and best practices, reducing plastic pollution influx, and expediting river cleanups in Indonesia.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WaterAid: International non-profit focused on WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) in developing countries. Comparable non-profit, donor-funded model with overlapping developing-country focus, though narrower on plastic pollution specifically.
• WWF (World Wildlife Fund): Global conservation organization with programs on oceans, rivers, and plastic pollution. Significantly larger scale and broader portfolio, but overlaps on freshwater systems protection and circular-economy advocacy.
• Ocean Conservancy: Established U.S. environmental non-profit focused on ocean health, including marine debris and plastic pollution advocacy. Larger, older organization with broader ocean agenda but overlapping riverine plastic concerns.

Others

• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme): UN agency executing Clean Rivers' $20M Indonesia plastic removal program. Functions as implementing partner rather than competitor, but represents the multilateral channel through which much of Clean Rivers' impact flows.
• Asian Development Bank: Multilateral development bank that signed MoU with Clean Rivers at COP29 on preventing plastic waste from river systems. Comparable as a large-scale development financier, though not a direct mission peer.

Direct peers

• Project STOP: Joint initiative by Borealis and Systemiq to design and implement circular waste management systems in Southeast Asia — same programme Clean Rivers funds in Banyuwangi. Direct implementation peer with overlapping geographic and program scope.
• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that stops ocean plastic by building ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities. Comparable to Clean Rivers on circular-economy, community-empowerment approach to plastic leakage in developing countries.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Non-profit organization that develops and deploys technologies to rid the world's oceans of plastic; uses river-based Interceptors to prevent plastic reaching the ocean. Closest comparable to Clean Rivers on mission (river-to-ocean plastic removal) and non-profit, donor-funded model.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Charity focused on accelerating the transition to a circular economy — active Clean Rivers partner on the Brazil initiative. Direct peer on circular-economy mission and global plastic pollution advocacy.

Emerging players

• Sailors for the Sea (by Oceana): Ocean conservation organizations with plastic pollution and water-quality programs. Smaller and more advocacy-focused than Clean Rivers but overlapping on river-to-ocean pollution themes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cleanriversorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-rivers-global

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean Rivers