War destroys the environment
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
International Humanitarian Law and Environmental Protection
in Modern Armed Conflicts
By examining today’s conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran-related tensions, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, it becomes increasingly clear that war does not only destroy human lives and infrastructure. It also destroys the environment upon which survival depends. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) which regulates armed conduct during armed conflict, recognizes this reality and seeks to limit environmental destruction during war.
International Humanitarian Law prohibits methods of warfare that cause widespread, long-term, and severe damage to the natural environment. The law protects civilian objects essential for survival, such as water sources, agricultural land, forests, and sanitation systems, because environmental destruction often leads to disease, hunger, displacement, and prolonged humanitarian crises.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, demonstrates how warfare can devastate the environment. Airstrikes and destruction of infrastructure have damaged water systems, contaminated groundwater, destroyed farmland, and overwhelmed waste management systems. Large quantities of rubble, sewage leakage, and pollution now threaten public health and worsen the humanitarian crisis faced by the civilians, especially women and children.
The hostilities between Israel and Lebanon have similarly raised concerns about environmental destruction. Reports of damaged agricultural land, burning vegetation and destruction of civilian infrastructure reveal how armed conflict can threaten food security and livelihoods. Environmental harm in conflict zones often continues long after fighting ends, affecting future generations and slowing recovery efforts.
Tensions involving Iran and the United States also highlight the environmental risks associated with modern warfare. Any escalation involving attacks on oil facilities, industrial infrastructure, or energy systems could trigger severe environmental disasters within regional and global consequences. Pollution, toxic emissions, and destruction of essential resources would not only affect combatants but millions of civilians.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, years of armed conflict and competition over natural resources have contributed to environmental degradation, illegal exploitation of minerals, deforestation, and displacement of communities. The conflict has shown how environmental destruction and humanitarian suffering are deeply interconnected. Communities that rely on land, forests, and water for survival are often left vulnerable when these resources are destroyed or exploited during war.
The environment has become the silent victim of modern armed conflicts. Yet protecting the environment during war is not separate from protecting human rights and human dignity. Clean water, fertile land, safe air, and functioning ecosystems are necessary for civilian survival and post-conflict recovery.
As conflicts continue across different parts of the world, there is an urgent need for stronger respect and enforcement of International Humanitarian Law. States and armed groups must be held accountable for environmental destruction caused during war. Protecting the environment during armed conflict is ultimately protecting humanity itself sustainable peace and justice to prevail, the International community must recognize that environmental protection is not only an ecological concern. It is a humanitarian and legal obligation.
BY: ATIM EDITH LABEJA
Climate justice activist
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