The paper examines the paradigm shift in water governance from human-centered approaches toward more inclusive frameworks that recognize nonhuman entities—such as rivers and ecosystems—as stakeholders. It analyzes the global Rights of Nature movement as a legal pathway, explores challenges in representing nonhumans within European water governance frameworks, and proposes a research agenda that combines theoretical and practical perspectives to move beyond anthropocentric models.
Cao, Y., Barbier, R., Baron, C. et al. Commoning water and integrating nonhuman entities into water governance in Europe. Ambio (2025).
