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Split level view of the River Itchen, with aquatic plants: Blunt-fruited Water-starwort (Callitriche obtusangula) Itchen Stoke Mill is visible on the left.

Split level view of the River Itchen, with aquatic plants: Blunt-fruited Water-starwort (Callitriche obtusangula) Itchen Stoke Mill is visible on the left. England: Hampshire, Ovington, May - Linda Pitkin/2020VISION

Rights of the River

In November, we supported a number of Norwich City Councilors to submit a ‘Rights of the River’ motion for the River Wensum.  

Ahead of the motion being discussed and voted for by Norwich City Council on 25 November, we sent an open letter to all Norwich City Councilors to demonstrate that there is widespread support for our rivers to have additional rights and protections. The letter was signed by over 120 people, including other eNGOs, and user groups such as wild swimmers and anglers. 

You can read the letter here.

What is the River Rights movement?  

The River Rights movement seeks to protect these valuable waterways by recognising their legal personhood, in a similar way to corporations being given a distinct legal status.  

The Universal Declaration of River Rights outlines: 

The right to flow 

The right to perform essential functions within their ecosystems 

The right to be free from pollution 

The right to connect with sustainable aquifers 

The right to native biodiversity 

The right to regenerate and be restore 

How can you help?  

If you live in Norwich, we encourage you to write to your Councillor ahead of 25 November to ask them to vote in favour of the Rights of the River motion. 

You can use the suggested letter content below and find out who your local councillor is here. 

Rights of the River motion letter

Dear [INSERT LOCAL COUNCILLOR NAME HERE], 

The River Wensum is not only a rare chalk stream of international ecological importance; it is also the living heart of our city. It sustains wildlife, nurtures communities, and connects generations through its beauty and biodiversity. Yet today, the Wensum faces growing threats - from pollution, sewage discharges, abstraction, and development pressures that degrade its health and resilience. 

This has a devastating impact on our wildlife, and it shows. Over 10% of our freshwater and wetland species are threatened with extinction in the UK, and we’ve lost 90% of our wetland habitats in the last 100 years.  

Across the country, the Rights of the River is a growing movement, with Councils including Lewes District Council, Southampton City Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (where all councillors, bar one, voted in favour of the motion), are adopting ‘River Rights’ motions to protect their rivers. A Rights of the River framework does not replace existing environmental protections — it strengthens them, by seeking to embed the river’s wellbeing into the heart of local decision-making. 

These motions follow the framework established by The Universal Declaration of River Rights, which outlines the following fundamental rights: 

  1. The right to flow
  2. The right to perform essential functions within its ecosystem
  3. The right to be free from pollution
  4. The right to feed and be fed by sustainable aquifers
  5. The right to native biodiversity, and
  6. The right to regeneration and restoration 

River Rights motions offer a plethora of opportunities to the Council, to strengthen protections for rivers, meaningfully engage with the local community and foster pride in the natural environment.  

Please will you commit to supporting River Rights and support the Rights of the River Wensum through the formal motion before Council on 25 November? 

Thank you for your time, I hope to hear from you soon. 

Kind regards, 

[YOUR NAME] 

[YOUR ADDRESS]