Rights of Nature in the Anthropocene: Towards the Democratization of Environmental Law?

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the processes of recognition of the Rights of Nature that have taken place in recent years, emphasizing the Latin American case. It is argued that this recognition can enrich socio-legal and ethical debates and thus enhance the defence of the natural world. The chapter examines the extent to which the rights of nature are recognised in some Latin American countries and the degree to which these ideas have circulated into the international regulatory space. It also argues that the Anthropocene presents a new opportunity for real and integrative collaboration among natural and social sciences and the humanities as well as the different types of knowledge and worldviews existing in our world, especially those of Indigenous Peoples. Finally, it argues that it is possible to consider a slow process of democratization of environmental law that implies several challenges for socio-legal research.