The question of the personalization of nature, which has been raised for several decades, is now back in the spotlight thanks to spectacular court decisions (India) and legislation (New Zealand) granting legal personality to major rivers. While legal doctrine has traditionally been reticent about this solution, it is now time to re-examine its arguments from both a pragmatic and pluralist perspective. A careful reading of the motivations behind these legal advances shows, however, that at least as much as, if not more than, the "intrinsic value" of nature, what prevails is the concern to do justice to the traditions, customs and therefore the collective cultural rights of indigenous communities living in symbiosis with these natural environments and developing an ongoing responsibility towards them.
11:15 - 12:15
