1. The utility of an environmental right to Zimbabwe’s economic recovery.
7th Annual Colloquium of the IUCN Academy on Environmental
Law, 1-5 November 2009, Wuhan, China
Tumai Murombo
Senior Lecturer in Law
Wits Law School, South Africa
URL:

2. Outline Why environmental rights? The link with economic recovery.
Role of civil and political rights
Good environmental governance
The future of environmental rights-constitutional reforms

3. Why environmental rights?
1.1 Environmental rights as a vehicle for sustainable development.
1.2 Economic development (recovery in the case of Zim) subsists on a resource base.
1.3 Envt’l rights as a barrier against degradation & looting with impunity.

4. 2. The link with economic recovery
2.1 Link between environmental rights and ESCRs
2.2 Economic downturn while a result of politics also largely premised on unsustainable management of natural resources-(land, water, air minerals, wildlife, e.t.c)

5. 3. The role of civil and political rights
3.1 Environmental rights, like ESCRs, can be promoted, protected and fulfilled in a free society- complimentary rights.
3.2 Elements of a free society - rule of law, good governance.
3.3 Struggle for rule of law

6. 4. Good environmental governance
4.1 What does it mean?
4.2 Environmental governance in Zim – constitution, framework legislation, media specific laws.
4.3 The lacunae – constitutional f/work.

7. 5. The future of envt’l rights.
5.1 Legal reforms – new constitution
5.2 Rule of law and good governance
5.3 Implementation and enforcement
5.4 Political will and public awareness.

8. Thank you !