Wetlands and International Environmental Law

The Evolution and Impact of the Ramsar Convention

New Horizons in Environmental and Energy Law series

Edited by Royal C. Gardner, Hugh F. Culverhouse Professor of Law and Director, Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy, Stetson University College of Law, USA, Richard Caddell, Reader in Marine and Environmental Law, School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University, UK and Erin Okuno, Assistant Professor of Law, Stetson University College of Law, USA

Publication Date: 2025 ISBN: 978 1 80220 301 1 Extent: 412 pp

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Ramsar Convention, the first modern multilateral environmental agreement, this timely book reflects upon the Convention’s work and its wider impact upon the protection of aquatic resources and wetland-dependent species.

This comprehensive book examines how and to what extent the Ramsar Convention has worked to protect wetlands, while exploring how it has influenced and collaborated with other international and regional regimes. Contributions from an array of expert authors analyse the key approaches and innovations that have been applied to the global protection of wetlands, while also considering the crucial role that wetlands play in climate mitigation and in supporting the needs of humans and animals alike.

Filling a gap in the current scholarship by discussing the impact and implementation of this pioneering convention, Wetlands and International Environmental Law is an inspiring read for academics in international and regional environmental law. This discerning book is also of interest to those working in the fields of political science, international relations, and area studies with a particular environmental focus.