UDTR — Radar mondial des droits de la Nature

Right of Nature in Africa: Assessing the Feasibility of Granting Legal Personhood to Rivers and Forests

Identification

Clé publique

doi:10.59568/kiulj-2026-8-1-02

Auteurs

Collins Ekpenisi · Amos Godfrey Atim · Olawumi Odeyinka-Apantaku · Adelowo Stephen Asonibare · Rogers Ntale

Année déclarée

2026

Langue déclarée

en

Type source

article

Première détection

2026-11-09T19:04:47.521278+00:00

Dernière observation des métadonnées

2026-11-09T19:06:33.874493+00:00

Dernière vérification HTTP

Non effectuée

Institutions déclarées par la source

Anglia Ruskin University · Halifax Regional Municipality · Kampala International University · Kwara State University

Pays d’affiliation déclarés

CA · GB · NG · UG

Résumé documentaire — langue originale

A global movement has begun to grow, one that argues that nature itself ought to be viewed as an important subject of law and not only an object of mere regulations. This growing idea is often described as granting rights of nature or legal personhood to natural entities, which includes important environmental elements like forests, rivers, and some other components of the ecosystem. Drawing insights from emerging global experience, this study assesses whether granting rights of nature or legal personhood to natural entities across the continent is currently viable and, if so, what the recognition and adoption might entail. The study employs a doctrinal approach, alongside a structured narrative review style and complemented by illustrative case examples, to highlight how significant this notion of legal personhood to natural entities has become worldwide and its implications for Africa. Potential legal, guardianship and institutional challenges in its adoption are highlighted, as well as promising prospects for Africa’s environmental governance if widespread acceptance and recognition of the rights of nature are ever achieved. The study reignites the historical idea that Africa’s pre-colonial legacy was always accustomed to the idea of natural entities bearing a semblance of personhood, and provides recommendations that African states must adopt if the continent is ever to utilise the concept of rights of nature to help address its current environmental challenges, improve accountability, and also, possibly, widen access to environmental justice.

Identifiants

DOI

10.59568/kiulj-2026-8-1-02

OPENALEX

W7156359666

OPENAIRE

doi_________::7adaeb8fd2f520bd0cff62993187376a

Repères documentaires

Famille documentaire

Doctrine

Types déclarés par les sources

Article · article

Entités naturelles mentionnées

Fleuve / rivière · Forêt · Écosystème

Les mentions d’entités ne constituent pas une preuve de reconnaissance juridique. La juridiction étudiée est distincte du pays d’affiliation des auteurs.

Sources

OpenAIRE · Document 1

OpenAlex · Document 1 · Document 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.59568/kiulj-2026-8-1-02
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W7156359666

Statut documentaire

Intégrée à la Bibliothèque juridique

Bibliothèque