Key facts
- Nine UK councils have endorsed the Avon bioregional charter of river rights (ABCRR).
- The charter grants the Bristol Avon rights to exist, thrive, and evolve naturally.
- The charter aims to preserve the river's biodiversity and promote regeneration.
- We Are Avon, a campaign group, is building a movement to regenerate the Avon bioregion.
- The ABCRR is a new model for upholding charter rights, with more councils expected to follow.
- Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) has appointed a river advocate to represent the Avon.
Nine UK councils have publicly endorsed the Avon bioregional charter of river rights (ABCRR), a move that grants the Bristol Avon river legal rights to exist, thrive, and evolve. The charter, developed by the Bristol campaign group Conham Bathing and championed by the We Are Avon movement, was signed on Sunday, World Rivers Day, at Parade Gardens in Bath.
The ABCRR enshrines the river's rights to flow sustainably, to not be polluted, to preserve its biodiversity, to aim for regeneration and restoration, and to build cultural and community connection. This initiative is part of a growing national and international movement to establish legal rights for nature.
Recent related UK initiatives include Lewes town council recognising the rights of trees and a nature's rights bill being debated in parliament. The ABCRR follows the Sussex River Ouse, which became the first river in England to have its rights recognised by a local authority in February 2025. However, the ABCRR breaks new ground with endorsements from an unprecedented nine councils, including Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol City, and North Somerset.
While river charters do not replace statutory duties or create legal obligations, proponents argue they align governance bodies around moral rights, empower grassroots stewardship, and hold institutions accountable. Josh Levene, founder of the UK River Rights Network, described such charters as "social contracts between humans and the river," strengthened when integrated with existing institutions like councils and catchment partnerships.
We Are Avon is pioneering a bioregional approach to river governance, mapping environmental governance onto the Avon catchment's ecological systems. This movement mobilizes farmers, river guardians, and other groups around bioregional ecology and river rights. The group plans to push existing institutions to uphold the charter while also developing alternative approaches, such as acquiring a community-owned hub for regenerative land management. Eighteen Avon guardian groups are already monitoring water quality and picking litter along the river's tributaries.