Lagoonscapes

The Venice Journal of Environmental Humanities

Rights of Nature and European Water Bodies: Ways of Relating from the Confluence

open access | peer reviewed
Abstract

Building on a diverse wealth of contributions around the topic of Rights of Nature (RoN) in Europe, this Special Issue stems from the artists, activists and academics, water people who animate the Confluence of European Water Bodies network. The essays focus on different ways of relating with water bodies in order to grant them recognition before the law and within more-than-human systems of law and governance. The Special Issues contributes to the lively discussion on how to move beyond anthropocentric environmental law and policy, giving voice to the web of life in which we are entangled and the grassroots, marginalised communities participating in this struggle. The geographical focus on Europe shows the manifold points of view within the continent, often described as late in joining the RoN movement or culturally allergic to any kind of ecocentric shift.

Keywords Ecological justiceRights of NatureReuss-InitiativeAffective pedagogyMulti-species stewardshipOverview effectRights for NatureRights of natureVenice LagoonSituated practiceCivic designConstitutionBiopoliticsRiver TaffWaterbodiesRiver justicePolitical legibilityEmbodimentSedimentingEcocentrismPoetryDegrowthCharter of the RightsTemporalitiesMore-than-HumanLimitsColère publiqueLocal ecological knowledgeOrthopedics of watersAmphibious livingBelongingEmbodied knowledgesLegal personhoodHydrofeminismDemocracyMore-than-human rightsSketchbooksSocio-ecological systemsListeningHydro bodiesMore-than-humandesignLake VätternMar MenorMultispeciesCareDeep ecologyImaginariesWaterLiteratureVeniceOntological politicsVoiceDecolonisationWalkingUnlearningWater governanceBuen VivirAltered natureCo-creationDrawingSpatial designPlaced-based art researchRelationalityTextilePosthumanismCollectivePedagogySiphonophorae SocietySomatic listeningAquatic doppelgängersLandscapeCeremonySubjectificationNorth SeaMakingEthicsPo RiverArtistic researchWalesEnvironmental humanitiesRiver as a subjectRepresentationNatural entitiesSocial-ecological transformationWater bodiesFundamental rightsRiver personhoodBioregional governanceEcofeminismSensory ethnographyLegal personalityConvivialityInstitutional design, Green Legal TheoryCollaborationCommonsMeuse

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/LGSP/2785-2709/2026/01 | Pubblicato 06 Agosto 2026 | Lingua en