On 24 February, Panama became the latest nation to recognise the legal rights of nature, following Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and New Zealand.
The Panamanian law recognises nature’s ‘right to exist, persist and regenerate its life cycles’, its ‘right to conserve its biodiversity’, and its ‘right to be restored after being affected directly or indirectly by any human activity’.
In December, the Ecuadorian constitutional court withdrew mining licences for the Los Cedros rainforest nature reserve because of the rights of nature – which are part of the constitution.
Topics: Green