The River Has a Voice — We're Helping it Speak
The Channelsea River has been exploited, polluted, and largely forgotten for over a century. As East London faces another wave of rapid development, we believe the time has come to give this river legal recognition and protection.
We are working to establish a River Rights Charter for the Channelsea — a formal framework that recognises the river as a living entity with the right to exist, flow, and flourish.
What are River Rights?
The rights of nature movement recognises that ecosystems — rivers, forests, mountains — have inherent rights to exist and regenerate, independent of their value to humans. It is a growing legal and ethical framework that has gained significant traction across the world.
In the UK, 17 councils have now formally recognised local rivers as having rights under the law — a landmark achievement for campaigners and communities who have spent years advocating for rivers to be treated as more than drainage infrastructure.
Rivers with some form of legal rights or personhood recognition now include the Whanganui River in New Zealand, the Ganges in India, and rivers in Ecuador, Colombia, and Bangladesh. In the UK, the movement is gathering pace through the work of Rights for Rivers UK and partner organisations.
Our work on River Rights
We are collaborating with the River Rights Network and the Climate Ecological Transitions Hub at Loughborough University London to develop a River Rights Charter specifically for the Channelsea and Bow Creek.
In May 2026, as part of London Rivers Week, we hosted a River Rights lecture and workshop at Loughborough University's East campus in Stratford. Participants explored the development of a River Rights Charter for the Channelsea, heard from the Love Our Ouse group about their experience of river rights campaigning, and considered what it would take for Newham to join the councils that have already taken this step.
We believe there is no reason why Newham cannot be next.
Why the Channelsea?
The Channelsea River runs through one of East London's most densely populated and rapidly developing areas. It has historically suffered from industrial pollution and neglect, yet it supports remarkable biodiversity — from breeding birds and invertebrates to the occasional seal (our first sighting was in 2019, and they've been back since). The river sits at the junction of the London Boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets, and flows into Bow Creek, part of the tidal River Lea. It is surrounded by communities that have rarely had a voice in decisions about their environment — and a river that has had even less of one. Giving the Channelsea legal rights would:
- Create a legal framework that development must respect, rather than override
- Give the local community a formal mechanism to advocate for the river's health
- Recognise the river as a living system, not just an asset or a drain
- Connect the Channelsea to a growing national and international movement
What a River Rights Charter
could include
A charter for the Channelsea might recognise the river's right to:
- Flow — to maintain its natural tidal and seasonal rhythms
- Be clean — freedom from pollution by industry, development, and surface runoff
- Flourish — to support biodiversity, including marginal vegetation, fish, birds, and invertebrates
- Be heard — to have a legal guardian or steward who can speak on the river's behalf in planning and legal processes
- Be restored — where historic damage has occurred, to be actively rehabilitated
Get involved
This is a live and evolving process — and we want as many voices as possible.
If you care about the Channelsea River and want to be part of shaping its future, here is how you can help:
• Come to our next gathering — first Saturday of the month, 11am–1pm at the Long Wall Ecology Garden. River Rights is a regular conversation topic.
• Follow the campaign on Instagram and Facebook for updates on charter development and events.
• Get in touch if you want to be more involved — contact us here.
• Find out more about the national movement at Rights for Rivers UK.
Surge Cooperative is a founding partner of the Channelsea River Rights Charter project, working in collaboration with the River Rights Network and Loughborough University London's Climate Ecological Transitions Hub.