The Vetiver Network International (TVNI)

Our Mission

Fresh water is the climate-dependent foundation of the life support system, and of all financial investment, in that order. Hydro security and financial security must therefore be managed in harmony with the sum total of available water: surface water and groundwater, or blue water, together with soil moisture, or green water. If neither security is to be compromised, the fresh water demand of the economy must be synchronized with the blue water and the green water available to it, simultaneously.

The Vetiver Network International (TVNI) is a global nonprofit dedicated to promoting the nature-based Vetiver Infrastructure System, with Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) — Chrysopogon zizanioides — at its core. A vetiver hedge guides surface runoff toward blue water and green water destinations at the same time, and so offers a practical, low-cost instrument for exactly this kind of water management (see Vetiver Hedge Mechanisms).

Beyond its regenerative hydrology, vetiver advances sustainable development across diverse landscapes — from farms and flood-prone slopes to polluted sites and urban infrastructure — delivering reservoir management, aquifer recharge, groundwater and soil moisture management, erosion control, soil regeneration, disaster risk reduction, infrastructure protection, regenerative agriculture, plant disease control, and economic opportunity through handicrafts and biomass.

Founded in 1995 by Richard Grimshaw, TVNI builds on World Bank-supported research and a scientific foundation rooted in hydrology, soil mechanics, and plant ecology. Through a decentralized network of volunteers, practitioners, researchers, and community leaders in more than 100 countries, TVNI empowers local solutions to global challenges. Our open-source, volunteer-driven model fosters collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing, without central management or paid staff.

TVNI supports the achievement of key Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Climate Action (SDG 13), and Life on Land (SDG 15), while offering accessible educational resources, field-tested guides, and community-driven success stories.

TVNI history, achievements and time line presentation