In 2017, New Zealand recognised the 290km Whanganui River as a legal person, ending a 160-year Māori legal fight and giving guardians power to act for it in court

Flowing for nearly 290 kilometres from the Mount Tongariro slopes to the Tasman Sea, the Whanganui River is one of New Zealand’s longest and culturally significant rivers. According to the BBC, for centuries, the river has sustained Whanganui Māori communities, serving as a source of food, transport and spiritual identity.

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