Protecting coral reefs is a matter of humans rights

Oceans are more than vast expanses of water that exceed the horizon. They are home to millions of creatures. Among those creatures, nesting deep underwater, are the vibrant, colorful coral reefs.

These magical marine ecosystems are the unsung heroes of our planet. But did you know that coral reefs survival is intricately tied to our very own human rights?

Why coral survival matters to humans

An estimated billion people depend on healthy coral reefs for their basic needs. From food to coastal protection and even tourism revenue, coral reefs make a massive contribution to our lives.

If the reefs crumble and their ecosystems vanish, the human cost might be too hefty to bear. The loss of marine ecosystems would mean a blow to our health and financial welfare.

Time to protect reefs is diminishing

Enter Dr. Emma Camp from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). She has been exploring the murky waters of marine conservation.

Dr. Camp warns that the time we have to save coral reefs is diminishing quickly. Despite numerous protective actions, coral reefs worldwide continue on their path of degradation.

In 2024, a global coral bleaching event affected more than half of the world’s coral reefs. Add to this the relentless onslaught of pollution, and we’ve got a time bomb ticking away. As Dr. Camp noted, “the loss of coral ecosystems negatively impacts both humans and nonhumans.”

Last hope for coral reef rescue?

So how do we untangle this knotty issue? According to Dr. Camp, we need to change our approach. We need to tackle coral conservation through the lens of human rights.

Consider it the human face of coral loss. This way, we can inspire a profound transformation in governance at all levels – local, national, and global.

Dr. Camp is the lead author of a paper titled “Coral reef protection is fundamental to human rights,” which is co-authored by experts from the University at Buffalo, State University of New York (SUNY), and the University of Konstanz.

Rethinking reef conservation

Just this year, the United Nations General Assembly affirmed our human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. However, this right is hanging by a thread in the face of a rapidly changing climate, pollution and biodiversity loss.

The International Coral Reef Society’s elected President, Professor Christian Voolstra, elaborated on the issue. He highlighted the findings of a recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. If the Earth heats up to even 1.5°C, most of our coral-dominated systems will be a thing of past.

Hence, we urgently need to rethink our strategy for reef conservation. We need to shift gears and hasten our efforts to shield these crucial ecosystems for present and future generations.

Human-rights based approach to conservation

“In other fields, applying a human-rights based approach to environmental protection has advanced both social and environmental conservation,” said co-author Dr Genevieve Wilkinson from UTS Law, a founder of the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Network.

“A rights-based approach embeds non-discrimination, empowerment and participation so that litigation is not the only available avenue for participation and empowerment of vulnerable rightsholders. States must be accountable to obligations to protect human rights and find just solutions.

Dr. Wilkinson noted that a human rights-based approach to coral reef protection is an important opportunity to expedite reef protection while simultaneously advancing climate justice for humans and non-humans.

With numerous governments failing to address climate change effectively, our rights are under threat. But Dr Wilkinson believes that implementing a human rights-based approach to coral reef protection might just be the game-changer we need.

Human rights of low-lying reef nations

The study highlights the 2022 decision in Billy v. Australia. It’s the first successful climate litigation framed through the language of rights.

“The case was submitted by a group of eight Torres Strait Islanders, and six of their children. It demonstrates how states’ failure to effectively address climate change can threaten the human rights of low-lying reef nation inhabitants who rely on healthy coral reefs to ensure their way of life,” said Dr. Wilkinson.

“Coral bleaching and its damaging impact on crayfish habitats were specifically identified as a harmful climate change impact by the Human Rights Committee.”

“The Committee determined that failure to implement adequate climate change adaptation measures by the Australian Government violated the Torres Strait Islander inhabitants’ rights to culture and to private and family life, contrary to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”

Coral reefs and human rights

The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights calls the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution the greatest future challenge for human rights worldwide.

As we navigate these troubled waters, it’s important to remember that protecting our coral reefs is more than an environmental issue. It’s a matter of safeguarding our human rights.

Will we rise to the occasion and fight for our future or will we watch as our vibrant marine ecosystems turn into lifeless, bleached skeletons? The choice is ours.

The study is published in the journal Global Change Biology.

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