Coral bleaching - matter of global concern

Abstract

The destruction of coral reefs is often looked at with a blind eye whereas in reality it could have disastrous consequences for both human and marine life. Coral reefs are considered as one of the most productive ecosystems on the earth, but human activities continue to be the primary cause of the global coral reefs crisis. The first part of this paper looks at the importance of coral reefs to humans and the human caused-threats to reef ecosystems. Secondly, it focuses the link between human rights and the environment (very often the marine environment and its resources are considered the basis of local culture). International laws address coral reef preservation and underline the State responsibility for using their biological resources in a sustainable manner, although mere compliance with existing international covenants would not suffice to ensure legal protection to this critical global resour.