Another river has won legal rights. In a landmark verdict, Colombia’s Constitutional Court has recognized the Atrato River basin as having rights to “protection, conservation, maintenance and restoration.” The verdict was reached in November 2016, but only publicized this month. The move marks at least the fourth river this year to receive legal rights. The others include the Whanangui River in New Zealand, and India’s Ganga and Jamuna rivers. In early 2015, the Colombian group Tierra Digna began a litigation process to defend the Atrato River and the rights of the communities inhabiting its basin. For years, the region has suffered from the ravages of illegal gold mining, which has led to both humanitarian and environmental crises.

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