Sea-Level Rise and the Legal Stability of Maritime Zones

Hosted by the Centre for International and Public Law at the ANU Law School. Do sea-level rise impacts to coastlines pose a challenge to the global system of maritime zones? Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a State's maritime zones and the entitlements they confer are closely connected to its land territory. As climate change accelerates coastal erosion and inundation, traditional assumptions suggest these entitlements could shrink or disappear, with profound implications including for access to marine resources. However, this area of law has seen remarkable developments in recent years, with States, scholars, and institutions demonstrating an increasing convergence around the view that established maritime zones may be preserved notwithstanding sea-level rise. Frances Anggadi offers reflections on these developments drawn from her new book, Sea-Level Rise and the Legal Stability of Maritime Zones (Oxford University Press, 2026). The seminar will also feature commentary from Professor Martins Paparinskis (International Law Commission), Phil Ng (First Assistant Secretary, International and Public Law Division, Attorney-General’s Department), and Lauren Power (Director, Maritime Jurisdiction Advice, Geoscience Australia).