Summary
Through the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) and the SWS Climate Change and Wetlands Initiative, a group of wetland scientists, a climate scientist, and attorneys came together to develop the proposed Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands, which “recognizes the rights and legal and living personhood of all wetlands” and “declares that all wetlands are entities entitled to inherent and enduring rights, which derive from their existence as members of the Earth community and should possess legal standing in courts of law.” These inherent rights include:
1. the right to exist
2. the right to their ecologically determined location in the landscape
3. the right to natural, connected and sustainable hydrological regimes
4. the right to ecologically sustainable climatic conditions
5. the right to have naturally occurring biodiversity, free of introduced or invasive species that disrupt their ecological integrity
6. the right to integrity of structure, function, evolutionary processes and the ability to fulfil natural ecological roles in the Earth’s processes
7. the right to regeneration and restoration
8. the right to be free from pollution and degradation
The Declaration also acknowledges “that wetlands have significance for the spiritual or sacred inspirations and belief systems of many people worldwide, but particularly for Indigenous peoples and local communities living in close relationship to wetlands, and that wetlands provide opportunities to learn from and about Nature, which supports scientific understanding and innovation, cultural expression and artistic creativity.”
The following individuals from around the world came together to develop the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands and form the SWS Rights of Wetlands Initiative: G. T. Davies; C. M. Finlayson; D. E. Pritchard; N. C. Davidson; R. C. Gardner; W. R. Moomaw; E. Okuno; S. Fennessy; M. Simpson; J. C. Whitacre. SWS is reaching out to the public, NGO’s and government organizations to endorse this approach, and welcomes views and comments. You can sign the Declaration or endorse it as an organization via their website.