In New Zealand, a river gets legal standing

The Whanganui river, New Zealand's third longest, now has the legal standing of a person, thanks to a court case initiated by the Whanganui River iwi, an indigenous community with strong ties to the waterway. The river is a person “in the same way a company is, which will give it rights and interests” with representatives from both the iwi and the national government acting as legal custodians. More here.

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