Rights of Nature: Difference between revisions

2016—Atrato River, Colombia: The Constitutional Court of Colombia recognised the Atrato River basin as a legal entity with rights to protection, conservation, maintenance, and restoration.

2017—Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, India: These rivers were declared legal persons by the Uttarakhand High Court, acknowledging their sacred status and environmental significance.

2017—Whanganui River, New Zealand (2017): The Whanganui River, known as Te Awa Tupua, was granted legal personhood, recognized as an indivisible, living whole with rights and duties. In 2017, New Zealand granted Te Awa Tupua (Te Reo)—the Whanganui River in Taranaki on the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand— legal personhood. For over 140 years, the local Māori iwi (tribe) of Te Awa Tupua fought to have their river recognised as an ancestor. In 2017 the New Zealand government awarded Te Awa Tupua “all the rights, duties, and liabilities of a legal person”. Te Awa Tupua is now legally acknowledged as “an indivisible and living whole from the mountains to the sea, incorporating the Whanganui River and all of its physical and metaphysical elements.” The recognition of Te Awa Tupua as a legal person represents a shift in the legal landscape, emphasising the importance of protecting natural entities and acknowledging their intrinsic value.