River Rights and the Rights of Rivers: The Case of Acheloos

 
|
 

Despite having some of the most rigorous environmental laws in the world, Europe’s Nature still suffers from inadequate protection. When Nature is primarily treated as property, environmental protection often rests on reversals and reapplications of planning decisions, and can be undermined by instrumental policy choices. Kalantzakos describes a case in which irreparable damage was done to Greece’s second largest river, the Archeloos, in the intervals between stalled court proceedings and re-appeals for a large-scale development project. Kalantzakos suggests how a Rights of Nature perspective could more promptly mitigate or even prevent such imprudent environmental destruction.

DOI: doi.org/10.5282/rcc/8214