Summary
On September 15, 2025, the Rother District Council in Sussex, England passed the Rights for Rothers Rivers Motion. The motion declares that “This Council supports the growing global movement for rights for nature in general and for rivers in particular, as a framework for rethinking the relationship between human beings and the natural world.” The motion supports the introduction into law of the following rights for rivers:
• the right to flow;
• the right to perform essential functions within their ecosystems;
• the right to be free from pollution;
• the right to feed, and to be fed by, sustainable aquifers;
• the right to native biodiversity;
• the right to regeneration and restoration; and
• the right to have an articulated voice in the community.
The motion recognizes that the state of the UK’s rivers is deeply concerning. The Rivers Trust’s 2024 State of Our Rivers report found that not a single river stretch in England is in high or good overall condition, while 23% are in poor or bad condition. Only 14% of rivers meet the standard for good ecological health.
During the same meeting on September 15, the Council passed a motion declaring rights for heritage trees.
Photo: Ian Cylkowski on Unsplash
Related Initiatives
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/rother-uk-district-council-motion-rights-of-rivers/.
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