Colombia Proposed National Law: rights of rivers
In 2024, a law to give Colombian rivers legal rights by giving enhanced protection to rivers with ecological and cultural significance was proposed.Read More →
Rights Of Nature
This page identifies initiatives that frame ecological jurisprudence in terms of rights of nature. Initiatives are included in this category when they explicitly recognize any non-human element of Nature (e.g., ecosystems, plant species, animal species) or Nature in general as a subject with rights.
Otavalo (Ecuador) court case: rights of Lake San Pablo
In 2025, Ecuador's court recognized Lake San Pablo’s rights and ordered urgent cleanup after years of pollution and negligence.Read More →
Colombian Law: rights of the Patía River Basin
In 2025, Colombia introduced a bill to grant rights to the Patía River, ban mining in its upper basin, and create a commission to protect the river.Read More →
Colombia Law: rights of Caquetá River
In 2024, Colombia advanced a bill to grant rights to the Caquetá River and appoint a commission to represent its legal interests.Read More →
Ecuador court case: rights of the Irquis River
In 2025, a court in Ecuador recognized the Irquis River’s rights, and ordered its restoration and the creation of a water management plan to care for the river.Read More →
XI FOSPA Mandate: Declaration of the Rights of the Amazon
In June 2024, the Mandate of the XI FOSPA called for the recognition of the Amazon as a subject of rights, while advocating for Amazonian Indigenous sovereigntyRead More →
Ecuador Management Plan for Protected Areas of Galapagos Good Living
In 2014, the Management Plan for Protected Areas of Galapagos Good Living included the respect for Rights of Nature as a guiding principle for management.Read More →
Switzerland Freedom of Information Request on behalf of the Mar Menor Lagoon
In July 2025, the Swiss State Secretariat for International Finance admitted a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) submitted on behalf of the Mar Menor lagoon.Read More →