A river in New Zealand has become the first river in the world to be granted the same legal rights as a human.

The New Zealand parliament passed the bill recognising the Whanganui River, in North Island, as a living entity.

Long revered by New Zealand’s Maori people, the river’s interests will now be represented by two people.

New Zealand’s Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson said the Maori had been fighting for over 160 years to get this recognition for their river

“I know the initial inclination of some people will say it’s pretty strange to give a natural resource a legal personality,” he said.