From the Silo to the Landscape: The Role of Law in Landscape-scale Restoration of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Abstract

Abstract Internationally, we are in the midst of a shift from an environmental legal regime focussed solely on protection to one encompassing restoration. In the coastal wetland context, this move is especially needed due to the significant legacy of past losses. This article welcomes this shift, but advocates for a legal framework that embeds landscape-scale restoration from the outset, moving us from a siloed focus on single ecosystem services and projects. This argument is made by reference to learnings from the high level of fragmentation in the environmental protection space and by reference to the literature on ecological restoration and nature-based solutions. It will also use a recent example from Australia—the Blue Carbon methodology—to illustrate that momentum towards coastal restoration in legal frameworks is occurring, leaving us with a time-limited opportunity to ensure that this landscape-scale focus is embedded into restoration law before a siloed focus becomes entrenched.