Unrecognised environmental costs of conflict

When assessing the costs of war, attention is typically directed toward human suffering, economic loss and geopolitical instability. Yet another major cost often goes unnoticed: the massive environmental destruction that conflicts unleash. War degrades ecosystems, accelerates climate change and leaves toxic legacies that continue damaging both nature and the people who depend on it.

From nuclear devastation in Japan to the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, the ecological toll of wars can be catastrophic and long lasting. Even smaller scale conflicts leave scars: with water wells poisoned, crops burned, forests felled, soils contaminated and animals killed to gain a military advantage. In fact, many conflicts are driven by competition over natural resources, ranging from timber and gold to fertile land and water. Such resource-driven disputes are also twice as likely to recur, as seen among pastoralist and farming communities across the Sahel, for example.

The destruction unleashed by large-scale wars leads to commensurate levels of environmental damage. Consider, for instance, how the Gulf War saw oil fields in Kuwait set ablaze, releasing millions of tonnes of smoke and soot into the atmosphere and polluting nearby soil and water sources. In Iraq and Afghanistan, decades of conflict have also contaminated water sources, poisoned soils and destroyed vast amounts of forests. The devastation of forests not only causes more global warming, it further weakens nature's role as a carbon sink, and it also reduces biodiversity.

In Syria, repeated bombings of cities, industrial zones and oil infrastructure released toxic chemicals, while fires from destroyed pipelines added greenhouse gases visible from space. Satellite data confirms that fires spike dramatically during times of war. In the early years of the Russia-Ukraine war, experts estimate over 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were released, equivalent to the annual emissions of several European nations.

Combat also spreads toxic substances such as heavy metals, white phosphorus, depleted uranium and industrial chemicals, creating long-term ecological and health risks. Clearing debris from conflict zones, such as Gaza, can generate tens of thousands of tonnes of additional greenhouse gases, prolonging environmental harm for decades. Unexploded ordnance and landmines prevent agriculture and polluted water sources increase cancer and chronic disease risks for civilians returning to post conflict areas.

The American and Israeli attack on Iran, and Iran's retaliation across the Gulf region are also producing significant pollution with both immediate public health effects and longer term ecological damage.

The environmental and ecological costs of militarism extend far beyond the battlefield. Military bases, supply chains and logistics networks exert a heavy ecological footprint. Militaries worldwide are major contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, as they burn vast amounts of fuel even in peacetime to maintain battle readiness. The Conflict and Environment Observatory estimates that military activity accounts for 5.5 per cent of global emissions, an environmental toll that rivals and may even exceed that of aviation and shipping combined. It is also worth noting that this estimate of military emissions does not include pollution and environmental destruction caused by active conflicts.

As nations shape defence and security policies in a world where climate change is an escalating threat, the environmental costs of war can no longer be ignored. Climate targets, biodiversity goals and sustainable development cannot be met if the ecological toll of large and smaller conflicts continues to mount. War not only claims the lives of combatants and civilians, but it also causes ecocide, which is further undermining the ability of our already stressed planet to sustain a growing global population.