How Rights of Nature Debunks Established State-of-the-Art River Bioassessment
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This repository contains the preprint manuscript, "How Rights of Nature Debunks Established State-of-the-Art River Bioassessment." The paper explores how Rights of Nature challenges the conceptual foundations of contemporary river bioassessment. Using the European Union Water Framework Directive as a representative case study, the manuscript examines implications for ecological reference conditions, ecological quality assessment, biodiversity metrics, environmental governance, and river management. The authors argue that recognising rivers as rights-bearing entities necessitates a transition from generalised, resource-based assessment frameworks to bespoke, rights-informed approaches capable of evaluating ecological integrity and river wellbeing. Building on these foundations, the paper proposes a river charter grounded in ecological principles, with the practical objective of supporting the development of implementable Rights of Nature charters. This manuscript is a preprint and has not yet undergone peer review. Accordingly, its findings and conclusions should be considered preliminary and may be revised following the peer-review process.
Language: English
Topic: Environmental law and policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221896945