Santa Ana (Ecuador) Court Case: rights of the Portoviejo River
In January 2026, a Santa Ana judge declared the Portoviejo River a rights‑bearing entity and ordered contamination remediation and ongoing protections.Read More →
Freshwater Ecosystem
This page identifies ecological jurisprudence initiatives in which the subject of the initiative is a freshwater ecosystem. Examples include watersheds, rivers, lakes, freshwater aquifers, or any type of freshwater wetlands (e.g., ponds, marshes, swamps, etc.).
France National Law: legal personality and rights of the Seine River
On 20 February 2026, a bill on the legal personality and rights of the Seine River was tabled in the Senate of France's national parliament.Read More →
UK Citizens Petition: rights of rivers and rias
In June 2025, a citizen petition was submitted to the UK parliament to Recognise Rivers & Rias (Drowned River Valleys) in England as living entities with rightsRead More →
Scotland Citizen Petition: rights of the River Clyde
In December 2024, Professor Louise Welsh and Jude Barber submitted a petition to the Scottish Parliament to grant the River Clyde legal personhood.Read More →
Wye Catchment Nutrient Management Board (UK): nature governance
In April 2025, the River Wye Catchment Nutrient Management Board appointed ecologist Louise Bodnar as the Voice of the River Wye.Read More →
Switzerland Parliamentary Postulate: granting glaciers legal personality
In 2017, Swiss parliamentarians sought rights for glaciers, but the Federal Council rejected the proposal despite scientific warnings of their disappearance.Read More →
Paris Declaration: rights of the Seine River
On June 4 2025, the Paris City Council adopted a resolution calling on Parliament to pass a law giving the Seine River legal personhood.Read More →
Berlin (Germany) Law: rights of the Spree River
In October 2025, a group of citizens launched a draft law to recognize the rights of the Spree River in Berlin as a legal entity.Read More →