Water is essential to life. Yet in the eyes of the law, it remains largely unprotected -- leaving many communities without access to safe drinking water, says legal scholar Kelsey Leonard. In this powerful talk, she shows why granting lakes and rivers legal "personhood" -- giving them the same legal rights as humans -- is the first step to protecting our bodies of water and fundamentally transforming how we value this vital resource.

Kelsey Leonard: Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans

Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans

Legal personhood for water could reverse humanity's domination over nature, echoing Indigenous views of water as a living relation.

Indigenous perspectives transform water protection by advocating for legal personhood, akin to rights granted to corporations.

Global water crises intensify as legal systems overlook water's rights, highlighting a stark need for transformative legal recognition.