Rights of Nature and Wetlands: Transforming the People-Nature Relationship

Global leaders and governance organizations are calling for transformative change as a way to navigate our future, thereby achieving a stable and livable climate and reversing the current biodiversity crash. Through a Rights of Nature/Wetlands lens, such a shift considers humans as part of Nature, not separate or superior to Nature. Indigenous Peoples who, for millennia, have viewed Nature as kin have often led the Rights of Nature movement. This paradigm shift translates the ethical valuing of Nature’s rights to exist, to have a place to exist, and to regeneratively participate in Earth’s natural processes into legal rights that can be defended, as a means of halting the current trajectory of ongoing degradation and destruction of Nature. Attendees will learn about the development of the Rights of Nature movement, with a special focus on Rights of Wetlands, and efforts to implement Rights of Nature and wetlands. Attendees will learn about key decisions during implementation of Rights of Wetlands, successful approaches, and lessons learned from some of the less successful cases. When implemented strategically, outcomes for wetlands, climate, and biodiversity can be improved. Links to materials will be shared including: Rights of Wetlands infographics/Quick Guides; Transforming Our Relationship with Wetlands: A Guide to the Rights of Wetlands; the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands; links to peer-reviewed journal articles on ROW; and a link to the Rights of Wetlands website.

Gillian Davies is a Senior Ecologist and Natural Climate Solutions Specialist at BSC Group, Inc., focusing on climate change and wetlands, ecological restoration, working to develop Nature-based Solutions, and operationalizing Rights of Wetlands. She is a Visiting Scholar at Tufts University Global Development and Environment Institute, chairs the SWS Rights of Wetlands Section, serves on the INTECOL Wetland Working Group, is a Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program representative to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Scientific and Technical Review Panel, was the 2016-2017 Society of Wetland Scientists President and was the 2021-2022 SWS Professional Certification Program President. She has a Master of Environmental Studies degree, concentration in ecosystem ecology, from Yale School of the Environment, and a bachelor’s degree from Williams College. She is a certified Professional Wetland Scientist and a Registered Soil Scientist and has given numerous presentations and co-authored journal articles on wetlands and climate change, rights of wetlands, and wetland soils in Massachusetts, nationally, and globally. She is the recipient of the Society of Wetland Scientists Merit Award, 40th Anniversary Award, and President’s Service Award, as well as the City of Taipei, Taiwan Ambassador of the City Award of Appreciation.