SHUTESBURY RIGHTS OF WETLANDS

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 the following:

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 be free from pollution and degradation

8. The right to regeneration and restoration.

   Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands