Environmental Impacts of War
Nothing Good Comes from War
And while we don’t want to diminish the immense pain caused by the loss of thousands of innocent lives, we do want to contribute what we can from our field of expertise towards a larger and very timely discussion.
We would like to take a moment of your time to look at some of the Environmental Impacts of War.
Focussing only on recent conflicts from 2021 to 2023, we can examine different instances with profound ecological consequences:
Habitat Destruction - The Amazon Rainforest: The Brazilian Amazon has seen a significant rise in deforestation due to conflicts in recent years. Illegal logging and mining activities, which are partially caused due to war-driven insecurities, threaten this crucial biome. [The Guardian, 2021]
Pollution - Oil Spills and Chemical Contamination: In 2022, the conflicts in Ukraine caused a major oil spill in the Black Sea. The shelling and infrastructure damage caused contaminated coastal areas and marine life. [Reuters]
Displacement and Fragmentation - Syria and Afghanistan: The ongoing conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan have led to extensive human displacement, which has caused encroachment on natural habitats, deforestation, and endangerment of local wildlife. [WWF, 2023]
Resource Scarcity - Conflict Over Water Resources: Conflicts in the Nile River basin, notably over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, have escalated tensions over water resources, with potential consequences for both humans and ecosystems. [The New York Times, 2022]
Climate Change - In July Time Magazine published a crucial think piece on the potential natural disaster that looms over Israel and Palestine. These areas are already extremely vulnerable to climate change based on their proximity to the sea, and while global temperatures between 1950-2017 rose by an average of 1.1 degrees celsius, the temperature in Israel recorded a 1.4 degree increase. Further, the current situation in the Gaza strip, with Israel having dropped 18,000 bombs here, which is 1.5 times of the explosive force of the bomb dropped in Hiroshima, is going to have catastrophic impacts on the climate for years to come.
Conclusion:
The environmental consequences of war that have taken place from 2021 to 2023 highlight the urgency to address the intersection of armed conflict and ecological devastation. Recognising that war is both - a humanitarian, as well as an environmental crisis, is the first step towards the minimisation of its destructive impact on the Earth and our wildlife. By promoting peace and committing to responsible environmental stewardship, we can work towards protecting our planet and its magnificent biodiversity, ensuring a sustainable future for all. We write this article not only to point out these issues, but to stress on the fact that whether we are removed from these atrocities or not, their effects will be felt by us in numerous ways, so we must all speak now against war.
And while we don’t want to diminish the immense pain caused by the loss of thousands of innocent lives, we do want to contribute what we can from our field of expertise towards a larger and very timely discussion.
We would like to take a moment of your time to look at some of the Environmental Impacts of War.
Focussing only on recent conflicts from 2021 to 2023, we can examine different instances with profound ecological consequences:
Habitat Destruction - The Amazon Rainforest: The Brazilian Amazon has seen a significant rise in deforestation due to conflicts in recent years. Illegal logging and mining activities, which are partially caused due to war-driven insecurities, threaten this crucial biome. [The Guardian, 2021]
Pollution - Oil Spills and Chemical Contamination: In 2022, the conflicts in Ukraine caused a major oil spill in the Black Sea. The shelling and infrastructure damage caused contaminated coastal areas and marine life. [Reuters]
Displacement and Fragmentation - Syria and Afghanistan: The ongoing conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan have led to extensive human displacement, which has caused encroachment on natural habitats, deforestation, and endangerment of local wildlife. [WWF, 2023]
Resource Scarcity - Conflict Over Water Resources: Conflicts in the Nile River basin, notably over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, have escalated tensions over water resources, with potential consequences for both humans and ecosystems. [The New York Times, 2022]
Climate Change - In July Time Magazine published a crucial think piece on the potential natural disaster that looms over Israel and Palestine. These areas are already extremely vulnerable to climate change based on their proximity to the sea, and while global temperatures between 1950-2017 rose by an average of 1.1 degrees celsius, the temperature in Israel recorded a 1.4 degree increase. Further, the current situation in the Gaza strip, with Israel having dropped 18,000 bombs here, which is 1.5 times of the explosive force of the bomb dropped in Hiroshima, is going to have catastrophic impacts on the climate for years to come.
Conclusion:
The environmental consequences of war that have taken place from 2021 to 2023 highlight the urgency to address the intersection of armed conflict and ecological devastation. Recognising that war is both - a humanitarian, as well as an environmental crisis, is the first step towards the minimisation of its destructive impact on the Earth and our wildlife. By promoting peace and committing to responsible environmental stewardship, we can work towards protecting our planet and its magnificent biodiversity, ensuring a sustainable future for all. We write this article not only to point out these issues, but to stress on the fact that whether we are removed from these atrocities or not, their effects will be felt by us in numerous ways, so we must all speak now against war.
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