Summary
On August 17, 2022, the municipality of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Brazil, amended its organic law to recognize rights of nature. The municipality recognizes Nature’s ownership of the rights to exist, prosper, and evolve, ensuring all members of the natural community, human and non-human, of the municipality of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, the right to an ecologically balanced environment and the maintenance of the ecosystem processes necessary for quality of life and life in harmony with Nature. It is the responsibility of the municipality and the community to defend and preserve it for the present and future generations of the members of the Earth community.
The Organic Law also mandates the Municipality shall promote awareness of the rights of Nature through citizen participation, and together with the community: § 20 – “include environmental education in all levels of education, promote public awareness for the preservation of the environment and for the understanding of the principles of harmony with Nature, good living, and principles that provide foundation for the intrinsic rights of Nature, encouraging conservation practices and promoting the expansion of ecological awareness.”
Alto Paraíso de Goiás is one of over a dozen municipalities and states in Brazil to implement rights of nature laws, which are all part of a rapidly growing movement across the country to extend deeper legal protections for Brazil’s natural features and ecosystems.
Involved Organizations
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/brazil-amendment-organic-law-of-the-municipality-of-alto-paraiso-de-goias/.
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