Erin O'Donnell
Erin has worked in water law and governance since 2002, in both the private and public sectors. Erin is recognized internationally for her research into the groundbreaking new field of legal rights for rivers, and the challenges and opportunities these new rights create for protecting the multiple social, cultural and natural values of rivers. Her work is informed by comparative analysis across Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India, Colombia, and Chile.
Biography
Erin is a water law and policy specialist, focusing on water markets, environmental flows, and water governance. She has worked in water resource management since 2002, in both the private and public sectors. Erin is recognized internationally for her research into the groundbreaking new field of legal rights for rivers, and the challenges and opportunities these new rights create for protecting the multiple social, cultural and natural values of rivers. Her work is informed by comparative analysis across Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India, Colombia, and Chile. Erin’s PhD examined the role of environmental water managers in Australia and the USA in delivering efficient, effective and legitimate environmental water outcomes in the context of transferable water rights and water markets. Erin has recently completed a consultancy for The World Bank, on water markets and their role in water security and sustainable development. In 2018, Erin was appointed to the inaugural Birrarung Council, the voice of the Yarra River.Education
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PhD (Law), University of Melbourne, 2017
LL.B (Hons), Deakin University, Melbourne, 2007
B.Sc (Hons), University of Adelaide, 2002
Areas of Research / Professional Expertise
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Legal rights for rivers
Water law and governance
Water policy, water regulation, and water markets
Environment and natural resources law
Indigenous water rights
Environmental planning and management
Books
Articles
At the Intersection of the Sacred and the Legal: Rights for Nature in Uttarakhand, India
Published: Sep 04, 2018 by Journal of Environmental Law
Authors: Erin O'Donnell
Subjects:
Environment and Sustainability, Law
In March 2017, the High Court of Uttarakhand in India ruled that the Ganges and Yamuna rivers, as well as other natural objects in the state of Uttarakhand enjoy legal rights. These judgments create novel legal rights for nature and, as such, present powerful examples of the increasing relevance of rights-centred environmental protection.
Creating legal rights for rivers: lessons from Australia, New Zealand, and India
Published: Mar 06, 2018 by Ecology and Society
Authors: Erin O'Donnell and Julia Talbot-Jones
Subjects:
Environment and Sustainability, Law
O'Donnell, E. and J. Talbot-Jones (2018). "." Ecology and Society 23(1): 7.
Competition or Collaboration? Using Legal Persons to Manage Water for the Environment in Australia and the United States
Published: Dec 04, 2017 by Environment and Planning Law Journal
Authors: Erin O'Donnell
Subjects:
Environment and Sustainability, Law
Environmental water managers (EWMs) are organisations with legal personhood, which have been created to acquire and manage water for the aquatic environment. This article explores the creation and operation of the EWMs of south-eastern Australia and the western United States and shows that the EWMs can provide a limited form of legal personality for the aquatic environment itself.