Ecuador’s Coastal Ecosystems Have Rights, Constitutional Court Rules [Video]

The Constitutional Court of Ecuador has determined that coastal marine ecosystems have rights of nature, including the right to “integral respect for its existence and for the maintenance and regeneration of its life cycles, structure, functions and evolutionary processes,” per Chapter 7, Articles 71 to 74 in the country’s constitution.

This is not the first time that Ecuador has established legal rights for nature. In fact, Ecuador was the first country in the world to establish that nature held legal rights, Earth.org reported. In 2008, Ecuador added rights for Pacha Mama, an ancient goddess similar to the Mother Earth entity, in its constitution. 

The law included a series of articles establishing that nature has the right to restoration and that the government will take precautions and restrictions against people harming or destroying ecosystems, according to the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.

As Inside Climate News reported, the country has previously protected land and wild animals. The latest ruling is the first time …