The Emerging Legal Framework for Ecological Restoration under International Environmental Law

Nsoh, Walters; Muzan, Menes

Abstract

Ecological restoration has only become legal as an international environmental law (IEL) obligation within the last half-century. However, the practice of ecological restoration is not an entirely new phenomenon historically. The evolution of the international legal framework for ecological restoration only began with the adoption of the first multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in the early 1970s. Since then, however, states have entered into several MEAs in pursuit of ecological restoration, which broadly fall into two categories: species recovery and habitat restoration treaties. The UN General Assembly recently declared 2021–2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to reverse ecosystem degradation, fight the climate crisis and reverse biodiversity loss. Implementing plans to promote effective law and policy within ecological restoration would require a binding Protocol on Ecological Restoration to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that commits states to develop restoration strategies in collaboration with other social sectors.

Citation

Nsoh, W., & Muzan, M. (2024). The Emerging Legal Framework for Ecological Restoration under International Environmental Law. In R. C. Brears, & J. Lindley (Eds.), The Palgrave Handbook on Environmental Policy and Law. Palgrave Macmillan (part of Springer Nature). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30231-2

• Online Publication Date: Dec 17, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 17, 2024
• Deposit Date: Oct 11, 2024
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (part of Springer Nature)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Series Title: Palgrave Studies in Sustainable Futures
• Series ISSN: 2731-975X ; 2731-9768
• Book Title: The Palgrave Handbook on Environmental Policy and Law
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30231-2
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4864356
• Contract Date: Jul 29, 2023