A world-wide 'Rights of Nature' movement is gaining momentum in WA's South West after community members called for the Margaret River to be given a rights similar to a human.

The proposal would see the 60-kilometre river recognised as a living entity and the local council appointed as custodians of the waterway.

More than 100 people attended a riverside rally earlier this week, to talk about ways of better protecting the river — including the possibility of giving it a legal status.

Ray Swarts, one of the residents behind the plan, said it was about personalising and protecting the river.

"It's degraded and in decline and unless we seriously go about trying to protect it, it doesn't bode well for us," he said.

"If human life is sacred then surely our rivers must be sacred."

He said ideally they would like greater protection for all of the region's natural landmarks.

"The river is the focus but it is [about] broader appreciation and respect for the environment in general," he said.

More than 100 people turned out to a rally in Margaret River this week wanting to protect the river. ( Supplied: Ben Parker )

Shire President Pam Townshend agreed that current efforts to conserve Margaret River were not working.

While the idea is yet to come before the local council, Ms Townshend said it was something she would personally like to explore further.

"If there's a movement for Rights of Nature then certainly we would look at it," she said.

An Australian first?

Despite the Rights of Nature movement taking off around the world, experts say it has never been achieved in its true form in Australia.

However, something similar was achieved last year when the Victorian Parliament passed a bill to protect the Yarra River.

The legislation gave the local Indigenous people a voice to speak out in the best interests of the waterway.

Residents want Margaret River given legal protection. ( ABC South West: Anthony Pancia )

Over the past few years, Rights of Nature have been implemented in different ways around the world, including in Ecuador, India and the USA.

A river in New Zealand last year become the first landmark in the world to be recognised as a living entity after a 170-year battle.

The Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) is spreading the message about Rights of Nature across Australia.

National convenor Michelle Maloney said the true rights of nature were achieved in New Zealand.

"It does have the legal rights of a human being but it actually has more than that because it's a river, it's not a person" she said.

Rights of nature difficult to implement

Dr Maloney said while it might be difficult for communities to have their landmarks recognised by the state, there were steps that could be taken at a grassroots level.

The Margaret River council says it will look into the idea of giving the local river legal rights. ( Supplied: Ben Parker )

"They can design their own local law and be a little bit cheeky and a little bit radical and encourage the local council to pass a law," she said.

"This would simply recognise the rights of the river to exist, thrive and evolve."

She said there were major benefits to recognising nature as a living entity, rather than a human resource.

"It works both as a way to defend damage and to prevent damage" she said.

Dr Maloney said the AELA was working with communities nation-wide and looking at ways to give rights to some of Australia's most iconic landmarks, including the Great Barrier Reef and the Blue Mountains.