El Salvador Declaration: forest protection and sustainable development

Summary

On 5 June 2019, the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador approved a pronouncement declaring that “forests are living entities”, and calling on the Salvadoran State, as well as public and private sectors, to join efforts for the sustainable development of ecosystems and to “live in harmony with nature”.

The declaration states: (machine translated)
“Forests are living entities, key to the environment because of their carbon capture, oxygen production, water recharge, soil conservation, and biological diversity; therefore, every human being must commit to caring for them, preserving them, respecting them, and promoting concrete actions that expand their coverage across the national territory, since without nature we do not exist; we are part of nature…

We call on the public to care for the environment and nature, starting in our homes and in our daily activities, by changing our everyday habits, such as: conserving water, planting trees, using reusable products, and, above all, teaching our children to protect the environment and live in harmony with nature.”

The group Sí Por La Naturaleza, in partnership with Earth Law Center, have also presented a proposal for the “Declaration of the Rights of Natural Forests in El Salvador” to the Congressmen of the Legislative Assembly. That declaration states that forests are living entities with certain rights to life, integral health, native biodiversity, and to independent legal guardianship, as well as recognizing related human rights, including the right to a healthy and sustainable climate.

The group Sí Por La Naturaleza is a coalition of lawyers, engineers, university students, and others working toward recognition of nature’s fundamental rights in El Salvador law.

Involved Organizations

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