Rights of Nature & Prehistoric Ponds

National news

Rights | In a UK first, Lewes District Council has formally decided to recognise the rights of the River Ouse in Sussex. The council will support a Charter of Rights for the Ouse, which, while not yet legally binding, will provide a framework outlining the essential needs of the river for it to be healthy, as well as local communities’ aspirations for it. These include the right to native biodiversity, to be free from damaging pollution, and to appropriate and impartial representation in decisions that directly affect it. The move comes in the context of a rapidly growing Rights of Nature movement across the globe, with successful examples in New Zealand, Canada and Colombia. ‘This is a historic moment for environmental protection in England,’ according to Emma Montlake, co-director of the Environmental Law Foundation. She added that the decision had ‘set a precedent that could transform the way we safeguard our rivers.’ ENDS and the Sussex Express reported the news.