UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Re-Imagining the Legal Nexus of Sanitation, Water and Biodiversity

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.5281/zenodo.18667767

Authors

Prajakta Pradip Shirke

Reported year

2026

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.585301+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:06:58.854926+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Shivaji University

Reported affiliation countries

IN

Documentary abstract — original language

Abstract Historically, water and sanitation (WASH) laws have focused on human health and urban engineering, often viewing "waste" as a pollutant to be removed rather than a nutrient to be cycled. This research paper explores the legal paradigm shift required to transition from a human-centric model to an eco-centric integration, where water and sanitation laws serve as primary instruments for biodiversity conservation. By reimagining "Right to Sanitation" through the lens of "Rights of Nature," we can create legal frameworks that protect aquatic ecosystems and terrestrial habitats simultaneously. The global governance of the hydrological cycle is currently fractured by a profound ontological and statutory schism. On one side lies the "brown" agenda of sanitation engineering—governed by public health mandates, urbanization policies, and a utilitarian view of water as a vector for waste transport. On the other lies the "green" agenda of biodiversity conservation—governed by environmental treaties, protected area regulations, and an increasingly desperate attempt to shield ecosystems from human encroachment. This report argues that this "Great Divergence" in law has created a "metabolic rift," where the legal structures designed to protect human dignity (the Human Right to Water and Sanitation) often inadvertently mandate the degradation of the very ecosystems (the Human Right to a Healthy Environment) upon which all life depends.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W7129418935

DOI

10.5281/zenodo.18667767

OPENAIRE

doi_dedup___::04de789624804aeedee1c3fa941bd830

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

Article · article

Natural entities mentioned

Ecosystem

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAIRE · Record 1 · Record 2

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18667767
• Document · https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18667767
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W7129418935

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

This identity is not yet included in the Legal Library.