Explainer: The Environment in War and Armed Conflict
Wars and conflicts not only harm people and infrastructure but also cause lasting damage to the environment.
Wars and conflicts not only harm people and infrastructure but also cause lasting damage to the environment. Natural ecosystems often become unintended victims, with effects that linger long after the fighting ends. One major impact is the destruction of landscapes. Bombing, deforestation, and landmines damage forests, farmland, and wetlands. During the Gulf War in 1991, oil spills and fires severely polluted the Persian Gulf, harming marine life and ecosystems. Chemical and biological weapons also leave behind toxic legacies. Hazardous materials like depleted uranium and unexploded ordnance contaminate soil and water. For example, Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War caused widespread forest destruction and long-term environmental harm.
Conflicts also disrupt conservation efforts. National parks and reserves are often abandoned or become battlegrounds, leading to poaching, illegal logging, and the loss of wildlife habitats. Animals are killed for food or trade, further endangering species. After the fighting stops, rebuilding can worsen environmental damage. Infrastructure projects often rely on overusing natural resources like forests and water. Displaced populations may move into fragile ecosystems, adding more pressure.
International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
On November 5, 2001, the United Nations General Assembly designated November 6 each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.
Every year on this day, attention is drawn to the environmental harm caused by war, which often results in polluted water, burned forests, and wildlife destruction. Throughout history, the environment has frequently been a casualty of armed conflict.
United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution
In May 2016, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution underscoring the critical role of healthy ecosystems and sustainable resources in reducing the likelihood of armed conflicts. While humanity has traditionally measured war casualties by the number of soldiers and civilians killed or wounded, as well as the destruction of cities and livelihoods, the environment has often remained an overlooked victim. Water wells have been contaminated, crops burned, forests felled, soils poisoned, and wildlife killed to gain military advantage.
Additionally, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has reported that, over the past 60 years, at least 40 per cent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources. This includes both high-value resources, such as timber, diamonds, gold, and oil, and scarce resources like fertile land and water. Conflicts involving natural resources have been found to be twice as likely to recur.
The United Nations places significant importance on incorporating environmental action into conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding efforts, recognizing that lasting peace is unattainable if the natural resources that support livelihoods and ecosystems are destroyed.
Similarly, BMC reported on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022. The war has caused more than $56.4 billion in damage to the environment. There has been widespread chemical contamination of air, water, and soil, and 30% of Ukraine has been contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance. Landscape destruction, shelling, wildfires, deforestation, and pollution have adversely affected 30% of Ukraine’s protected areas. Russia’s seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam have posed risks of long-term environmental catastrophe. Most of these environmental impacts threaten human health.