UK Citizens Petition: rights of rivers and rias

Summary

In June 2025, a citizens petition was submitted to the UK parliament to “Recognise Rivers & Rias (Drowned River Valleys) in England as living entities with rights to ‘their’ own voice by creating a system to appoint Lead Legal Guardians & Guardian Groups for each River & Ria in England to enforce ‘their’ rights.” The petition calls on Parliament to develop a system for appointing legal guardians and guardian groups for each river and ria in England to enforce their rights.

If a petition gets 10,000 signatures, the government will respond. If a petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament. The petition closed in January 2026 and received 5,000 signatures.

Originally, the initiative had particular emphasis on the Helford River in Cornwall, England, before being revised and aimed for all rivers to be granted legal personhood and guardianship. Drowned River Valleys, also known as Rias, are a common geographical feature in Cornwall. Ria systems form when sea levels rise, flooding a River valley that is already present, shaped over time through the erosional processes of a flowing River. The valley, now submerged under the seawater, forms a long winding estuary stretching inland, creating unique geological and habitat features that maintain the look characteristics of a River.

Emmeline Hardisty, founder of the Voices of Water Foundation (VoW), and campaigner Kirstie Edwards led the development of the petition. They collaborated with multiple organizations to launch the petition.

Involved Organizations