ZKSD Themenabend:
Blue Community with Dr. Erin O’Donnell
Upholding the rights of river persons: enforcement or relational repair?
17.06.2026 | Saal, Kulturpark Zürich | 18:00-19:00 Uhr | EN
River rights is now a transnational movement, with over 100 examples of rivers around the world gaining the legal status of persons, subjects, or living entities. The question of whether rivers should have rights is beginning to give way to the question of what happens when they do.
In this lecture, Dr. Erin O'Donnell examines how these new legal rights can be enforced through three key perspectives. The lecture explores how moving beyond traditional legal frameworks offers a unique opportunity for creative law and policy reform to transform our relationship with the natural world.
About Dr. Erin O’Donnell
Erin O’Donnell is a Senior Fellow and lecturer at the University of Melbourne Law School, Australia. As of 1 January 2026, she has been promoted to Associate Professor. She is also an independent consultant on water markets to the World Bank and has worked on water governance in the public and private sectors for more than 15 years. More here