ABSTRACT
In 2017 rivers in Aotearoa New Zealand, India, and Colombia were recognised as being the subject of legal rights and given the status of legal persons. Constructing rivers as people with legal rights of their own is a transformative idea. The combination of a profound shift in the environmental law paradigm and the apparent novelty of the concept has resonated with communities around the world. In 2013 the cultural and ecological values of the river came together in the triannual celebration of Kumbh at Allahabad, an event which brings millions of visitors to the banks of the Ganga River. National policy on water resource management is developed and promulgated by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. Both India and Colombia explicitly intended to create legal rights for nature. Although implementation is still under way in two cases, narratives of both collaboration and competition in river management and water governance are already becoming apparent.
