In 2017, three of the world’s major rivers were granted legal rights. New Zealand’s Whanganui River and the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India. The granting of legal rights to these rivers raises an important question, which is yet to be answered: how effective will rights-centred environmental protection be at ensuring greater water security?

The United Kingdom announced on 16 March that it will be implementing a new tax on sugary drinks. The country is not alone with this development: France, Belgium, Hungary and Mexico all have a form of tax on sugar-laden drinks.