Sea Level Rise: Implications for Human Rights, Security and Peace

This open access book explores the human rights implications of sea level rise. The recent data confirms that the global average sea level will continue to rise and to make coastal zones less habitable or uninhabitable. Furthermore, these changes are increasing human mobility at the domestic and international level. Against these challenges, the book explores how international law is changing in light of common concerns. For the first time, it offers a reflection on the application of the innovative human rights-justification theory (as being developed in the ongoing Horizon Europe ’Human Rights Justification’ project) in this field by exploring the States’ use of justifications in interpreting their protective duties and in adopting climate measures. The book is structured around three thematic sessions: I ) Sea Level Rise, Stability and Security; II) Sea Level Rise and the Rights of Affected Population; III) Sea Level Rise: New Developments at International Level.

Elisa Fornalé is one of the first international lawyers, to establish and continue to lead innovative research at the intersection of human migration and climate change. She has a proven record in securing significant research funding in this field, as demonstrated by the award of her SNSF project ’Framing Environmental Degradation, Human Mobility and Human Development as a Matter of Common Concern (CLI_M_CO2)’ in 2017; a number of influential publications, which were among the first works on the topic, as well as the organization of community-building workshops and international conferences. Elisa’s leadership positions are reflected in her appointment as co-Rapporteur of the International Law Association (ILA) Committee on International Law and Sea Level Rise. She is currently the Work Package Leader for Climate of the Horizon Europe ’Human Rights Justification’ project (States’ Practice of Human Rights Justification: A Study in Civil Society Engagement and Human Rights through the Lens of Gender and Intersectionality, 2023-2026).