Motion 067

Many of the world’s rivers suffer from immense overexploitation. According to the Living Planet Index, 1,472 monitored freshwater species have declined by an average of 85% since 1970 (WWF, 2024). Excessive dams and infrastructure exacerbate the crisis, with only 37% of rivers longer than 1,000 kilometers remaining free-flowing (Grill et al., 2019).
A Rights of Nature framework shifts the paradigm from viewing rivers as commodities to recognizing their inherent value and rights. This may include appointing legal guardians to act on behalf of rivers in law, as seen with Colombia’s Atrato River and Aotearoa New Zealand’s Whanganui River. Such rights “…bring legal shape to the ways in which rivers are valued and understood—as sacred, living entities, holistic ecosystems, and watersheds” (International Rivers et al., 2020).
The Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers (www.rightsofrivers.org), launched in 2019, outlines basic rights for rivers, such as the right to flow. It has influenced legal frameworks globally and is endorsed by over 200 organizations. This declaration is part of a broader movement that includes the Universal Declarations of the Rights of Mother Earth (launched in 2010 with over 300,000 signatures); the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands (www.rightsofwetlands.org), which includes rivers; and others, all providing legal norms for specific ecosystems or Nature at large.
At least 25 countries recognize the Rights of Nature, either nationally or through sub-national measures (UN Harmony with Nature Initiative; EcoJurisprudence Monitor). The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has also acknowledged the intrinsic value of Nature. Governments regularly embrace other ecocentric law frameworks, such as relationship-based laws or rights of future generations (Earth Law Center).
The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) further mainstreams this movement by highlighting diverse value systems, including the Rights of Nature (or Mother Earth). GBF Target 19 also outlines funding for “Mother Earth-centric actions”–defined as ecocentric and rights-based approaches, such as the rights of rivers, wetlands, and other ecosystems–along with non-market-based approaches.
As the environmental polycrisis worsens, ecocentric governance approaches, including those rooted in the Rights of Nature, will be crucial to ensuring that rivers and other wetlands and ecosystems thrive.
While the Rights of Nature is a prudent approach for many nations, others may pursue alternative ecocentric strategies to live in harmony with Nature, including relationship-based frameworks outside the scope of rights. This resolution embraces that broader perspective.
Citations:
Earth Law Center. Ecocentrism in the GBF. https://shorturl.at/8pRDZ.
EcoJurisprudence Monitor, https://ecojurisprudence.org/
Grill, G. et al., (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1111-9
Higgins, J. et al., (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041950
International Rivers et al. (2020). Rights of Rivers. https://shorturl.at/TRUoL
Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers. www.rightsofrivers.org
Rights of Wetlands www.rightsofwetlands.org
Perry, D. et al. (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042347
UN Harmony with Nature Initiative. http://www.harmonywithnatureun.org/rightsOfNature
World Wildlife Fund. (2020). Living Planet Report. https://bit.ly/3kH0J8w