Asia

This page identifies ecological jurisprudence initiatives that exist in Asia. For the purposes of delineating boundaries, we define Asia to include the countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, and Russia.

India Supreme Court case State of Telangana v. Mohd. Abdul Qasim ruling considers the rights of nature

Country:India

Status:Approved in 2024

In 2024, an Indian Supreme Court considered ecocentrism, rights to nature and climate change in a ruling in favor of a protected forest in Kompally.Read More →

Kerala High Court of India case on legal personhood for the Bharathapuzha river

Country:India

Status:Submitted in 2022

In 2022, a petition was filed in the Kerala High Court of India seeking to declare the Bharathapuzha river as a 'legal entity' with a right to flow and liveRead More →

Madras High Court of India case on the rights of Mother Nature

Country:India

Status:Approved in 2022

In 2022, the Madras High Court declared “Mother Nature” a living being, ruling it has the same legal status and rights as a human beingRead More →

Uzbekistan 1994 Criminal Code Mentioning Ecocide

Country:Uzbekistan

Status:Overturned in 2003

In 2003, Uzbekistan overturned an article incorporating ecocide into its 1996 criminal codes.Read More →

India court case on the rights of Sukhna Lake

Country:India

Status:Approved in 2020

The court declared in 2020 that Sukhna Lake has a "distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties, and liabilities of a living person."Read More →

Pakistan court case Islamabad Wildlife Management Board v. Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad

Country:Pakistan

Status:Approved in 2020

In 2020, a justice in the Islamabad High Court in Pakistan ruled animals have legal rights in a case regarding the cruel treatment of zoo animals.Read More →

Pakistan court case D. G. Khan Cement Company Ltd. v. Government of Punjab

Country:Pakistan

Status:Approved in 2021

In 2021, the Supreme Court of Pakistan banned the construction of cement plants in environmentally vulnerable areas.Read More →

Vietnam 1999 Criminal Code Mentioning Ecocide

Country:Viet Nam

Status:Overturned in 2015

Vietnam overturned an article adding ecocide to its criminal code in 2000.Read More →