Pollution of Soils, Water, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Wars
- Wars not only have heavy human tolls but also significantly impact the environment.
- Increasingly, the environment is being used as a weapon in conflicts.
- The impacts extend beyond the scope of these conflicts.
Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon—four wars that have shaken the world in recent years. These conflicts have shed light on the environmental dimension in warfare. Beyond the tragic human losses, the issue of ecosystem destruction, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions in conflicts poses a major question for the future.
In a hundred-page document, Lebanon details how Tel Aviv’s military offensive profoundly disturbed the physical and ecological balance in the southern and eastern part of the country. NGOs had made similar accusations regarding the war in Gaza.
Destructing the environment can destabilize a country or region for decades, in a way possibly never seen before in the context of climate change and the crises it generates, making ecosystems less resilient to these impacts.
The Trigger of the Vietnam War?
Throughout history, the “scorched earth” policy has been used in conflicts. However, this aspect may not have been truly considered and highlighted until the Vietnam War, with the spreading of millions of liters of Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide, devastating the forests in the southern part of the country, polluting agricultural lands, and leading to the local disappearance of many animal species.
“This represented a new type of military intervention where the environment was destroyed to defeat the adversary,” analyzes Fabien Locher, a historian and specialist in the relationship between war and the environment.
For more news like this, continue reading here.
