The PMPI network and Rights of Nature PH welcomed environment lawyer Atty. Eduardo Salazar in a special forum last July 1, 2023. Atty. Salazar was one of the key persons in winning a landmark case which granted the Mar Menor Lagoon in Spain legal personhood. Their success in protecting the lagoon and organizing support for the campaign is critical in the Rights of Nature global movement.
For several years, Atty Salazar worked with Professor Teresa Vicente at the University of Murcia to protect the Mar Menor lagoon. The Mar Menor lagoon is located in Murcia in Southeastern Spain. Finally, on September 30, 2022, the Spanish Parliament completed the ‘Mar Menor Act’ granting legal personality to the lagoon of the Mar Menor and its basin.
The lagoon now has legal status as a person, which is a first for Spain. The legislation codifies the lagoon’s right “to exist as an ecosystem and to evolve naturally” and recognizes its right to protection, conservation and restoration.
Atty. Salazar’s stories, struggles, and insights on their Mar Menor Lagoon campaign provided the Rights of Nature advocates in the Philippines valuable and relevant knowledge and perspectives to further the movement in the country.
