Rights of nature
Also called: Legal personhood of nature · Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 8 "How the Land Becomes Sacred"
Meaning
Rights of nature is the idea that a river, mountain or ecosystem can have legal rights, like a person. The legal term for this is "legal personhood". Nature cannot speak in court, so human guardians are appointed to act for it. This means harming the river or mountain can be treated like harming a person with rights. The idea often comes from communities that already treat these places as sacred.
Example
In 2017 the Uttarakhand High Court declared the Ganga and Yamuna rivers to be living entities. The Supreme Court later stayed (paused) this order. Elsewhere in the world, New Zealand gave legal rights to the Whanganui River in 2017 and to the mountain Taranaki Maunga in 2025.
Don't confuse with
- Sacred grove: a sacred grove is protected by religious belief and local custom. Rights of nature give a place legal standing in law, with guardians who can act for it in court.
Related concepts
- Community participation in conservation
- Bhairodev Dakav Sonchuri
- Beej Bachao Andolan
- Navdanya
- Bishnoi community
- Sacred grove
- Niyamgiri Hills