River in the UK Granted Legal Status

The River Wye is the first river in the UK to be granted its own legal rights, covering its entire course from source to sea.

^{Text: Marika Griehsel}

The Wye is 250 kilometres long and originates in Wales, flowing through the counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire in England before crossing the border again.

In recent years, the river has become increasingly polluted, and environmental groups have argued in court cases that discharges from agriculture and sewage have led to algal blooms which, among other things, are suffocating wildlife.

Rivers are protected under British nature conservation legislation, but many observers believe this is not enough. British nature writer Robert Macfarlane describes Britain’s rivers as dying.

Previously, the River Ouse in Sussex, England, was granted legal status, but the Wye is the first river in Wales to now be granted a range of rights, as listed below, which entail long-term protection and the restoration of the river and its catchment area.

• The right to flow and perform its natural functions
• The right to biodiversity
• The right to be free from pollution
• The right to be supported by a healthy catchment area
• The right to recover
• The right to representation

Commenting on the decision in the UK, Pia Björstrand, chair of End Ecocide Sweden, says:

“It is encouraging to see that more and more countries are realizing that our human rights are fundamentally based on functioning ecosystems, and that we must therefore recognize and respect the rights of nature. This decision can give the river’s ecosystem and the life surrounding the river a chance to recover, thereby creating a solid foundation for the long-term well-being of the people living along the river.”

^{Cover photo: Floden Wye, Ross-on-Wye. Foto: Philip Halling, Wikimedia Commons. Licens:CC BY-SA 2.0}

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