Dr Erin O'Donnell

Dr Erin O'Donnell

Senior Fellow, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne

See research profile

Arts & Culture

What we watched, read and listened to in 2024: Part Two

Part Two of the books, podcasts, TV series, poems, footy matches and more that inspired us in 2024

Environment

Ten things you should know about legally recognising the rights of Nature

As Nature around the world gains increasing rights as a ‘person’ or ‘living entity’, we need to understand what this means on the ground (or in the water)

Environment

Australia’s media isn’t accurately reporting all sides of the Murray-Darling Basin debate

A lack of balance in media reporting may have harmed public perception of environmental water allocations in the Murray-Darling – and Indigenous custodians barely get a look in

Politics & Society

The legacy of aqua nullius is causing a sustainability disaster

Australia’s rivers and freshwater ecosystems are in trouble – a result of the false claim that water belonged to no one when the British invaded Australia

Environment

Australia’s rivers are ancestral beings

Rivers around the world are now recognised by law as legal persons and living entities. Here in Australia, our rivers can be understood as ‘ancestral beings’ under Indigenous laws

Politics & Society

Returning water rights to Aboriginal people

Water justice is a critical issue for Indigenous Peoples, but there are legal and policy opportunities to hand back water rights to all First Nations and Traditional Owners

Environment

Melbourne’s real-world impact on climate change

A new initiative bringing together multi-disciplinary climate change experts is focused on finding effective global solutions in Australia and beyond

Environment

The global problem of thirsty cities

Globally, around 500 million people experience water shortages and that figure is only going up; but good governance and smart water management could lead to collaboration rather than competition

Environment

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Podcast

The legal rights of rivers

In the past couple of years, legal rights have been awarded to a number of rivers around the world. Why?

Environment

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Podcast

Rivers as persons

What it means to give legal rights to nature