The Atrato River Was Given Rights: What Happened Next?

Colombia’s Atrato River ruling of 2016 was celebrated globally as a landmark victory for Rights of Nature. Yet, a decade later, the river’s experience poses a difficult question: what happens after recognition? Illegal gold mining continues to contaminate its waters with mercury, threatening biodiversity and human health. Armed groups remain active in parts of the basin, complicating governance and enforcement. And communities who depend on the river continue to face environmental degradation. The Atrato case shows that legal recognition raises equally important questions about how those rights are implemented in practice.