Much has been written about the effects of war on people’s lives.
We have no doubt that hostilities are extremely detrimental to human mental and physical well-being.
However, it is also worth mentioning that war has a profound effect on the environment. Rural and urban landscapes are altered, ecosystems are destroyed, and natural resources are destroyed or polluted.
The indirect effects of war are also numerous and varied, and often more lasting than the direct impacts: abandoned agriculture, land degradation, loss of wildlife.
The impact of war can be as devastating as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or tsunamis. Many European cities were completely destroyed after World War II.
But no city was as devastated as Hiroshima and Nagasaki in southern Japan, where the first atomic bombs were dropped. Hiroshima immediately killed 100,000 people and Nagasaki 40,000. The legacy of this “operation” still lingers to this day and affects people’s health. The almost total destruction of the centers of both cities required an extensive post-war reconstruction program, and the atomic fallout affected flora and fauna.
More recently, during the conflict in the Balkans, the bombing of Belgrade caused damaged petrochemical plants in the suburbs to leak hazardous substances into the air, water and soil. Other sites included ammonia and plastics plants, which released chemicals such as chlorine, ethylene dichloride, hydrochloric acid and vinyl chloride, causing localized air pollution and health hazards.
Releases of oil and other chemicals from such plants and refineries have also contaminated surface and groundwater bodies in Serbia. For example, extensive oil slicks have formed in the Danube River, which has also been polluted with many other chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid and mercury. These substances do not disappear without a trace.
The destruction of oil wells in Kuwait during the 1990-1991 Gulf War also caused widespread pollution. Retreating Iraqi soldiers set fire to more than 700 oil wells and released about 11 million barrels of oil into the Persian Gulf. Some 1,290 kilometers of the region’s coastline were affected as a result. The local fishing industry and many marine species such as turtles, whales and seabirds have been adversely affected.
The production of soot and gases such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide caused pollution in the region and beyond. Acid rain occurred, and soot particles temporarily lowered temperatures as sunlight was radiated back into the atmosphere.
The effects are still being felt, although the marine and coastal ecosystems have been able to recover.
Damage from bombs in rural areas may not cause as much loss of life as in cities, but the “legacy” remains nonetheless. In Vietnam and Laos, for example, more than one million hectares of forest and two million hectares of farmland have been destroyed.
Another environmental impact is evident in the “Rust Bowl” in Eritrea. This is the so-called tank cemetery on the outskirts of the capital Asmara. Here, several hectares of land are covered with abandoned army tanks, armored vehicles and jeeps left over from the 30-year war with Ethiopia.
The war is one of the most significant causes of migration as people flee the fighting. The refugee camps that have formed offer basic food and shelter, but even the provision of such modest resources requires massive organization on the part of the host countries. Moreover, enormous pressure is placed on landscapes that are often already fragile.
Where a camp is established, vegetation, especially trees that are used as fuel, is destroyed. Wildlife populations and habits are also changing. Water availability and quality can also become an issue. In addition, domestic and human waste must be disposed of, which also has an impact on the environment and poses a potential health hazard.
A strong environmental impact occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which received refugees (about 300,000 people) after the conflict between Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda in the mid-1990s.
The longer the camps exist, the greater their impact on the environment. And even short-term impacts have long-term consequences. In many cases, the environment may never fully recover as the pressure on vegetation, soil and wildlife breaches the ecological threshold.
