Reconèixer i defensar els drets de la natura

9 octubre 2024. Des de les 18:00 fins 19:30 | Conferència | Anglès | Espanyol | CaixaForum Macaya, Barcelona

The Mar Menor, a 52-square-mile marine ecosystem and the largest permanent saltwater lagoon in Europe, is separated from the Mediterranean by an 8.5-mile sandbank. Once renowned for its pristine waters, unique wildlife, and distinctive fisheries, the Mar Menor was highly valued for its natural beauty and ecological significance.

In recent years, the swift expansion of tourist infrastructure and the rise in agricultural runoff have caused significant pollution in both the Mar Menor and its aquifers. High-rise apartments and marinas are now dominating the landscape while the surroundings serve as a major hub for vegetable farming for export leading to severe ecological damage, including fish die-offs and significant seagrass loss. How to take action to protect endangered Mediterranean ecosystems such as the Mar Menor? What if the response was coming from the growing rights-of-nature movement? The rights of nature model seeks to recognize ecosystems as rights holders, providing them with a voice through representation. Concerned about the gradual decline of the Mar Menor, Teresa Vicente was spurred into action following a mass fish die-off in 2019. She became convinced that the lagoon’s best hope for survival lay in granting it legal personhood and formally recognizing its rights. Teresa Vicente led a historic, grassroots campaign to save the Mar Menor ecosystem from collapse, resulting in the passage of a new law in September 2022 granting the lagoon unique legal rights. Teresa Vicente is the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize Winner.

A Med Dialogues 2030 session at the CaixaForum Macaya, Pg. de Sant Joan, 108, Barcelona. Free entrance with prior registration.