Yurok Tribe Resolution Establishing Rights of the Klamath River
In 2019, the Yurok Tribe made a resolution recognizing rights of the Klamath River and gave it legal personhood.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.).
Colombia Coello, Combeima, and Cocora Rivers Case
In 2011, the Administrative Court of Tolima recognized the rights of the Coello, Combeima and Cocora rivers, their basins and their tributaries.Read More →
India case Miglani v. State of Uttarakhand establishing legal personhood for glaciers Gangotri and Yamunotri and other ecosystems
In 2017, the Uttarakhand High Court gave personhood to glaciers including Gangotri and Yamunotri, and other ecosystems.Read More →
US Colorado River v. Colorado
The court dismissed a 2017 lawsuit filed by Deep Green Resistance against the State of Colorado in order for the Colorado River to be declared a legal person.Read More →
Australia Yarra River Protection Act 2017
In 2017, Australia passed the Yarra River Protection Act giving the Yarra River status as a legal entity and including Wurundjeri people in managing the river.Read More →
New Zealand Te Awa Tupua Act 2017
In 2017, the New Zealand government declared the Whanganui River a legal entity with rights in the Te Awa Tupua Act.Read More →
India Proposed National Ganga River Rights Act
Ganga Action Parivar, CELDF, and the Global Interfaith WASH alliance created a proposal for a National Ganga River Rights Act to give the river legal rights.Read More →
Colombia case establishing the rights of the Atrato River
In 2016, the famous Rio Atrato case is established as the first jurisprudence in Latin America where a court declares the recognition of an ecosystem’s rights.Read More →