THE ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL CONTRACT Rights of Nature and Intergenerational Justice in Constitutional Law
Year: 2026
Type: book
Abstract: THE ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL CONTRACT: Rights of Nature and Intergenerational Justice in Constitutional Law, by Mohamed Kamal Arafa El-Rekhawy (2026), is a landmark reference establishing a unified constitutional framework for the Anthropocene. It argues that modern constitutions, designed for ecological abundance, are structurally inadequate for planetary crises. The work proposes recognizing ecosystems as legal subjects, criminalizing ecocide, and institutionalizing intergenerational equity. Spanning ten chapters, it covers philosophical foundations, comparative jurisprudence from Ecuador, New Zealand, and Colombia, doctrinal architecture for standing and guardianship, institutional designs including ombudsmen and sovereign ecological trusts, accountability mechanisms, judicial review, transnational enforcement, and implementation metrics. The book provides model constitutional amendments, treaty frameworks, and practical appendices for constitutional drafters, judges, and legislators. Its goal is operational realism: transforming environmental constitutionalism from theoretical proposition into enforceable legal standard without sacrificing human dignity, democratic legitimacy, or developmental aspirations. The work bridges deep ecology, indigenous cosmologies, and social contract theory into a coherent framework for sustainable civilization.
Author: el-rakhawi, mohamed kamal arafa
Language: English
Topic: Environmental law and policy
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214342641