Does Mother Nature have rights? A tiny frog has joined the fight
In a quiet corner of the Ecuadorian Andes, a chorus of frogs has sparked a global conversation about environmental justice. These aren’t just any amphibians from Ecuador – they’re symbols of resistance, biodiversity, and legal innovation.
In a recent paper, researchers from the University of Vermont’s Institute for Agroecology and international collaborators explore how Ecuador’s pioneering constitutional recognition of the Rights of Nature is changing the way we think about law, justice, and the planet.
The study presents Ecuador as a test case for reimagining governance systems in favor of both people and ecosystems.
Tiny amphibians, massive impact
At the heart of this story is the Resistance Rocket Frog – Rana Cohete Resistencia – named by residents of Intag Valley to embody the united effort to protect their land. Though small and seemingly inconspicuous, these endangered amphibians from Ecuador became co-plaintiffs in a landmark lawsuit that halted large-scale mining in their habitat.
Supported by community members, biologists, lawyers, and activists, the frogs helped establish one of the most influential legal precedents in Earth system law.
“Translating the Constitutional Rights of Nature into concrete conservation measures is a powerful tool to prevent species extinction in areas threatened by mining,” said Andrea Terán, an Ecuadorian biologist and co-author of the study.
“Large-scale mining concessions are concentrated in the Andes and their foothills, overlapping with regions of high amphibian endemism and richness. Therefore, having a mechanism to halt this extractive economic model opens the door to exploring alternative relationships with nature and sustainable economic models that support life in the long term.”
Ecuador’s biodiversity is staggering: the country ranks ninth among the world’s most biologically rich nations, home to as many as 20,000 plant species, nearly 700 amphibians, and over 450 types of mammals. Frogs, in particular, are considered critical ecological indicators due to their acute sensitivity to pollutants, making them a powerful symbol of environmental health.
Recognition of nature’s rights
In 2008, Ecuador became the first country in the world to constitutionally recognize the Rights of Nature, granting ecosystems the legal right to “exist, persist, maintain and regenerate.” Unlike traditional environmental laws, which regulate harm through permits and limits, Rights of Nature laws treat ecosystems as legal subjects, not objects.
This shift allows non-human life to be represented in court as plaintiffs. In the Llurimagua mining case, legal teams successfully argued on behalf of the forest ecosystem and the species within it, using Ecuador’s constitutional protections.
“In the case of Llurimagua, as explained in the article, the practical applicability of the rights of Nature is demonstrated, showing that these are not merely symbolic declarations but rights with real-world legal effects,” said Mario Moncayo, one of the attorneys on the case.
“The recognition of the rights of nature has allowed individuals and communities to exercise them directly, establishing relevant precedents in the protection of nature.” The legal precedent set by these victories has inspired environmental justice advocates around the world.
According to Carlos Varela Arias, a constitutional law professor and co-author of the paper, this framework will enable the design of new strategies and global governance mechanisms to adapt human systems to those of nature, allowing for our survival and peaceful coexistence with the natural environment.
A global standard for nature’s rights?
The Ecuadorian model is already echoing beyond its borders. Bolivia’s Mother Earth Law, New Zealand’s legal personhood for the Whanganui River and Te Urewera, and Canada’s recognition of First Nations’ land rights all draw on similar legal reasoning.
Cases in Mexico, India, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States reflect the growing influence of this movement. To institutionalize these advances, the paper outlines three fundamental dimensions of effective Rights of Nature legislation:
- Intrinsic worth: recognizing nature’s value independent of human utility.
- Guiding principle: using Nature’s rights to steer legal and political decisions.
- Enforceability: holding states and citizens legally accountable for harm.
The authors also identify the Escazú Agreement – a legally binding treaty signed by 23 Latin American countries including Ecuador. The treaty acts as a promising regional tool to reinforce these rights and protect environmental defenders.
Despite its ratification in 2021, threats to activists remain dire. According to Global Witness, over 2,100 nature defenders have been murdered globally in recent years, with 70% of those killings occurring in just four Latin American countries.
Legal innovation and Indigenous wisdom
“The Rights of Nature is a strong and inspiring idea that started in Ecuador,” said Amaya Carrasco Torrontegui, senior author of the paper and a University of Vermont affiliate. “This approach encourages us to see Nature not just as a resource, but as something alive and deserving of care – drawing on Indigenous wisdom and the idea of Pachamama, or Mother Earth.”
Lead author Carlos Andres Gallegos-Riofrío emphasized the transformative potential of these legal frameworks. “A key lesson – especially the coalition that advanced the Llurimagua case – is that there are real alternatives for governing the Earth system.”
“These alternatives, to become truly transformative, need society’s active engagement. Only then can they serve as critical tools to help local communities stop activities that harm both people and Nature, globally preventing us from continuing to cross the planet’s safe operating boundaries.”
Lessons from the Andes
The success of Ecuador’s Rights of Nature movement demonstrates the power of local activism, coalition-building, and a bold rethinking of legal norms. It also highlights the potential of a “tiny avatar” – like the rocket frog – to symbolize much larger battles over climate, biodiversity, and justice.
With mining blocked in three major projects in the Intag Valley and courts upholding the rights of ecosystems in multiple landmark cases, Ecuador’s approach is proving that environmental justice doesn’t always start in global halls of power. It can also begin in a small village, a forested valley, or the determined leap of a tiny frog.
The study is published in the journal Earth System Governance.
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