Human rights and environmental protection are deeply interrelated topics. However, their relationship is complex. Nowadays, it may be easy to conclude that environment is protected by International Human Rights, in the early days of this process; there were many doubts on whether environment should have been covered by human rights instruments. It is still a developing process. In this context, it becomes important to study the early beginnings of environmental protection in International Human Rights Law in order to analyse normative and institutional development. This analyses also may shed light on the future developments and tendencies on the subject matter.

This book was intended to cover two regional human rights protection mechanisms, namely Organization of American States and African Union as well as the practice of Human Rights Committee. Through the working process, I have noticed the fact that the part on the Council of Europe was going to reach to an unproportioned size which could have a negative effect on the structure of the book. That is why I decided to deal with the Council of Europe separately in another volume.