The Devastating Impact of Conflict on Natural Resources
From Gaza to Ukraine and beyond, conflict has caused widespread death and destruction. However, the damage extends far beyond human lives; it also devastates natural resources such as water systems, farmland, and forests. These environmental impacts not only affect livelihoods but also fuel displacement and ongoing instability. Moreover, their consequences can linger long after the fighting has ceased.
In Sierra Leone, for example, “when the guns fell silent in 2002 after a decade of conflict, our primary forests and savannahs also fell silent,” said deputy foreign minister Francess Piagie Alghali during a speech at the UN Security Council. She highlighted the loss of biodiversity, the forced migration of wildlife, and the abandonment of agricultural fields and swamps, all direct consequences of the armed conflict.
Long-Term Implications of Environmental Damage
Sierra Leone currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, and Ms. Alghali presided over a debate on the environmental impact of armed conflict and climate-driven security risks. This discussion took place as more armed conflicts rage across the planet than at any time since the end of World War II. Two billion people—equivalent to a quarter of the global population—live in conflict-affected areas.
“In environmental damage caused by conflicts continues to push people into hunger, into disease, and into displacement, thereby increasing insecurity,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Conflicts lead to pollution, waste, and the destruction of critical ecosystems, with long-term implications for food security, water security, the economy, and health, she explained.
Climate change exacerbates tensions and can even contribute to conflict, particularly over water or land resources. Crop loss, contamination, and flooding are some of the key issues that arise from these intertwined challenges.
Case Studies: Gaza and Ukraine
Ms. Andersen highlighted several examples, including the destruction of Gaza, where two years of war have caused the loss of 97% of tree crops, 95% of shrubland, and more than 80% of annual crops. “Freshwater and marine ecosystems are polluted by munitions, by untreated sewage, and other contaminants,” she said, while “over 61 million tonnes of debris must now be cleared, with sensitivity to avoid further contamination.”
In Ukraine, the June 2023 destruction of the Kakhova Dam led to the flooding of more than 600 km² of land, resulting in severe loss of natural habitats, plant communities, and species due to prolonged inundation of ecosystems.
Legal Efforts to Protect the Environment
The debate occurred on the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, amid growing recognition of the need for global action. “Significant efforts are being made to strengthen the international legal framework to protect the environment,” said law professor Charles C. Jalloh, a member of the International Law Commission (ILC), a UN body.
While no single binding universal treaty yet exists, he pointed to some of the “so-called soft law instruments” that have made contributions to date, including the ILC’s set of 27 draft principles, adopted in 2022. “The principles, rooted in the law of armed conflict, international environmental law, and international human rights law, sought to strengthen the protection of the environment before, during, and after armed conflict, including in situations of occupation,” he said.
Strengthening Links Between Humanitarian Action and Climate Adaptation
Maranatha Dinat of the humanitarian organization World Relief delivered a message from Haiti, where the combined impacts of environmental degradation, climate change, and socio-political instability reinforce one another, undermining peace, security, and sustainable development. She stressed the need to “strengthen the links between humanitarian action, climate adaptation, and peacebuilding” in order to boost resilience, promote social cohesion, and ensure lasting stability.
Ms. Andersen outlined how the international community can assist conflict-affected countries, starting with rebuilding their capacity for environmental management. Such support “enables governments to manage natural resources for sustainable development, for economic recovery, and for climate adaptation, thus reducing poverty, hunger, and aid dependency.”
Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
She also called for increased investments in climate adaptation. UNEP released its latest Emissions Gap Report this week, which revealed that the world is struggling to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. “As we head to Belém, therefore, for COP30, high ambition is needed both on adaptation and on mitigation,” she said. “Every fraction of a degree matters, and every fraction of a degree avoided means lower losses for people and ecosystems—and greater opportunities for peace and prosperity.”