India’s rivers are sacred yet heavily polluted. In 2017, the Ganges and Yamuna rivers were granted legal personhood, but the ruling was suspended. What role can the Rights of Nature play in India and what changes are needed to make them effective?

Bolivia made global headlines over a decade ago when it legally recognized the rights of nature. But how effective is this concept in the face of ongoing extractivism? A look at the opportunities, challenges, and limits of this legal paradigm shift.