Cincinnati group files petition to give Ohio River rights

The Ohio River Bill of Rights petition was submitted to shift the legal view from nature as property, to one that acknowledges the rights of the river’s ecosystem, giving the watershed a right to thrive and exist on its own. httpss://www.alleghenyfront.org/a-cincinnati-group-thinks-the-ohio-river-should-have-rights-of-nature/

Lake Erie granted Rights

In 2019 the citizens of Toledo Ohio passed a resolution establishing a bill of rights for the Great Lake and granting it legal standing in suing polluters. httpss://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/toledo-ohio-just-granted-lake-erie-same-legal-rights-people-180971603/

Yarra River, Australia

A law setting out to protect Victoria’s Yarra River has been identified by the United Nations as a legislative example of the rights of nature and signifies a shift in the way the government thinks about protecting the natural environment. httpss://lens.monash.edu/@politics-society/2023/03/03/1385376/australias-rights-of-nature-push-flows-from-the-yarra-river

Sussex River, England

Sussex RiverSussex River could be first in England to get Legal Rights 3/2/23 For the first time, a river in England could be granted the legal right to good health, writes Isabella Kaminski. A motion passed by Lewes district council states that the river Ouse’s wellbeing could be secured by recognising its right to flow, …

Whanganui River, New Zealand

On March 20th, 2017, the New Zealand government enacted legislation recognizing the Whanganui River as a legal person, holding rights and responsibilities equivalent to a person. httpss://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200319-the-new-zealand-river-that-became-a-legal-person httpss://www.wcel.org/blog/i-am-river-and-river-me-legal-personhood-and-emerging-rights-nature httpss://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/16/new-zealand-river-granted-same-legal-rights-as-human-being

Ganges and Yamuna Rivers, India

March 23, 2017The high court in the city of Nainital in Uttrakhand declared that the Ganges and Yamuna were “legal and living entities having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities,” reports Michael Safi at The Guardian. They appointed three officials as custodians of the rivers and ordered that a management board be …

Atrato River, Colombia

in May 2017, the Colombian Constitutional Court publicly issued its ruling that the Atrato River, along with its tributaries, is a legal subject and has rights relating to its protection and conservation.  httpss://www.ncronline.org/news/earthbeat/colombias-choc-region-river-guardians-protect-rights-rio-atrato

Magpie River, Canada

On Feb. 16 2021, the regional municipality of Minganie and the Innu Council of Ekuanitshit adopted separate but similar resolutions granting the river nine legal rights, including the right to flow, to maintain its biodiversity and the right to take legal action. httpss://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/magpie-river-quebec-canada-personhood-1.5931067