Nature's rights for threatened tropical coasts

Fernandes, Stephannie, Couto, Thiago B.A., Fernandes, Geraldo w., Bernardino, Angelo F., Leal, Cecília G., Reis-Filho, José Amorim, Soares, Marcelo Oliveira, Jenkins, Clinton N., Gaurisas, Daniela Y. and Giarrizzo, Tommaso (2026) Nature's rights for threatened tropical coasts. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. ISSN 2530-0644

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Abstract

Exploring nature's rights for coasts is urgent as rising seas, marine heatwaves, and storms increasingly threaten ecosystems, biodiversity, and livelihoods. New legal propositions currently under discussion in the Brazilian Congress will have important consequences for coastal ecosystems and the people that rely on them (i.e., Proposed Constitutional Amendment, PEC 3/2022). Here, we navigate through some of these recent debates to highlight opportunities for pioneering legislation reforms that target coastal conservation in Brazil. The successful case of public engagement to resist PEC 3/2022 sheds light on the potential of Brazilian people’s support to advance nature protection, starting from the littoral zones. Given the fragility of coastal protection in the country, integrating ethical dimensions through the lens of rights of nature provides a powerful framework for more effective science-based conservation. The key takeaway is that granting rights to coasts, backed by civic engagement, could foster their ecological resilience to escalating human threats.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	coastal ecosystems,environmental governance,marine conservation,public mobilization
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Related URLs:	https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	26 Jan 2026 13:30
Last Modified:	30 Jan 2026 12:30
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/101711
DOI:	10.1016/j.pecon.2026.01.001

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