EXPLORE OUR CAMPAIGNS BY REGION
Earth law initiatives rooted in place and community
Earth Law Center works alongside partners across regions to advance laws and policies that recognize Nature’s intrinsic value and uphold its rights. Our regional campaigns, co-led by local communities, respond to distinct ecological, cultural, and legal contexts while contributing to a growing global movement for Earth-centered governance.
North America
Campaigns in North America
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We are working to protect the Elwha River Watershed’s last remaining legacy forests.
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ELC works in the Rocky Mountains to recognize the rights of watersheds and give them a voice in law. A focal point is the Boulder Creek Watershed, building from the work of Boulder Rights of Nature—one of the first community Rights of Nature groups whose mission continues through ELC. We also work in other regions, including ELC’s home watershed, the San Juan.
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We are calling for the recognition of the inherent rights of the Southern Resident Orcas and the ecosystems upon which they depend.
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The Indigenous Youth Ocean Congress (IYOC) is a growing movement led by and for Indigenous youth to recognize Ocean rights and responsibilities.
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Earth Law Center, with support from the New York Community Trust, is available to advise local and Tribal governments or authorities on implementation of the New York Green Amendment — New Yorkers’ right to clean water, clean air, and a healthful environment.
Learn more and download our toolkit now.
Latin America
Campaigns in Latin America
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The Biobío River becomes the first ecosystem in Chile to have a Declaration of Rights, recognizing its inherent rights to exist, flow, and regenerate, as well as its deep spiritual and cultural significance.
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Our collaborative capacity-building program fosters the exercise of rights and ecocentric solutions, promoting cooperation and advocacy in environmental decision-making and dialogue at a regional level. We work hand in hand with communities, strengthening their efforts in the defense of Nature and equipping them with tools for empowerment, management, and environmental governance from a gender and intercultural perspective.
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Panama follows a short list of countries to have recognized the Rights of Nature at the national level. The approval of the National law opens the doors for holistic, joint, rights-based governance of forests, rivers, the ocean, and other ecosystems.
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In partnership with scientists from the Amazon Research International and the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute, ELC seeks to recognize native stingless bees as subjects of rights while protecting their ecosystems and indigenous knowledge.
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Since 2023, the “Ríos Protegidos” Initiative has gathered national and international organizations seeking to strengthen the River protection and restoration in Chile through the interdisciplinary and collaborative work of its members. Earth Law Center is a proud member of this initiative.
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The Queuco River is a vital natural and cultural treasure of the Biobío region—one of the last healthy, free-flowing tributaries in the Biobío basin. Maintaining the freedom of its waters and an adequate ecological flow is essential for local biodiversity, traditional livelihoods, and the cultural identity of the Mapuche-Pewenche people.
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Europe
Campaigns in Europe
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The Balkans is home to the continent’s last free-flowing rivers and hosts immense biodiversity. Endangered species such as the Danube salmon, Balkan lynx, and white-clawed crayfish call this region home.
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In April 2025, our coalition presented findings on ecocentric law structures to protect Lough Neagh. We will continue to support community-driven efforts to explore legal rights and self-ownership of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.
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coming soon
Global
Global Campaigns
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Ocean Rights is a legal framework and ethical perspective toward recognizing the ocean's inherent rights and intrinsic value. We advocate for solutions that prioritize justice for the ocean and marine species.
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“A Voice for Coral Reef Ecosystems Through the Rights of Nature and Ecocentric Law” is a three-part toolkit to equip policymakers, advocates, and legal professionals with bold legal strategies to protect coral reefs.
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Earth Law Center’s “Voice for the Deep” initiative calls for a legal paradigm shift that recognizes deep-sea ecosystems as rights-bearing entities and ensures they are represented in international governance, including a seat at the table within the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
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In support of our campaign to establish rights for all rivers, Earth Law Center has teamed up with experts worldwide to develop a Universal Declaration of River Rights.
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Alongside our partners, we are asking the UN to formally engage in drafting and adopting a Declaration of Rights of Mother Earth to complement the Human Rights Declaration—a declaration acknowledging Nature’s aliveness and that it is deserving of rights and protections, just like humans.
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United Nations
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The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the global treaty tasked with protecting and restoring the world’s biodiversity. It may be the planet’s best hope for collective action to safeguard the health of all plants and animals.
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Because environmental challenges span the globe, ELC focuses significant advocacy efforts at the UN-level, seeking laws and policies that allow people and Nature to flourish together.
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United Nations Campaigns
Africa
Campaigns in Africa
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The Nile River Basin, the world’s longest river, stretches through 11 countries in Africa and supports millions of people. One of the world’s most biodiverse regions, it is severely threatened by climate change, which is causing increasing disasters and worsening water scarcity for the region’s fast-growing population.
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An initiative to establish legal rights for the River Ethiope in Nigeria. This river, sacred to local communities, is believed to be the deepest inland waterway in Africa.
Discover our programs advancing Earth-centered law, policy, and education
Header Photo: Unsplash / Marek Piwnicki; North America: Unplash / Alyssa Teboda; Latin America: Unsplash / Jonatan Lewczuk; Africa: Unsplash / Hu Chen; International: Unsplash / Nikola Johnny Mirkovic; United Nations: Unsplash / Mathias Reding