The Environmental Cost of War
War is madness anyway but the environmental costs can be high. In 2001 the United Nations declared November 6 of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.
There is a long history of deliberate acts to damage the environment for military gain.
• In the 5th century BC Scythians poisoned the water wells to slow the advancing Persian army.
• 145 BC Roman troops razed the city of Carthage in 146 BC and poisoned the surrounding soil with salt to prevent its future cultivation.
• The American Civil War saw the widespread implementation of ”scorched earth” policies.
• 1945 the United States atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki have to rate as environmental harm
• Vietnam War, the US destroyed vegetation used by its enemy for cover and sustenance, using chemicals such as Agent Orange.
• 191 Iraq burned Kuwaiti oil well-heads
• Over the following 10 years the Saddam regime built barriers and levees to drain the al-Hawizeh and al-Hammar marshes in southern Iraq, an area some believe is the site of the biblical Garden of Eden and destroyed the livelihood of the 500,000 Marsh Arabs.
• Use of cluster bombs and weapons containing depleted uranium by US and British forces in Iraq.
• At present the western region of Darfur in Sudan, has seen the poisoning of water wells and drinking water installations as part of a deliberate government-supported strategy by militia to eliminate or displace the ethnic black Africans living in that region.
I am sure there is more! War is appalling but often the effects persist in the environment, in some cases indefinitely or long after the conflict is resolved, jeopardising or destroying the lives and livelihoods of those reliant on the natural environment and increasing numbers of refugees.
Many, if not most of these are basically disputes over natural resources.
Much of this comes from an article by Steven Freeland is Associate Professor of International Law, University of Western Sydney and a Visiting Professional at the International Criminal Court, The Hague. These are his personal views. I agree with them
He goes on to say that this from of damage should be a part of the mechanisms of international criminal justice, in order to better protect our most cherished assets for future generations.
I spent my earliest childhood under a war and still find sirens and loud bangs very stressful. I will stand up for my rights assertively when I meet a bully but I do not understand war and I certainly am appalled by deliberate environmental damage.
Technorati Tags: Deliberate environmental damage, Impact of war on the environment, International criminal justice,
Jean is an award winning consultant and trainer helping people and businesses around the world who want greater efficiency and reduced stress! If you sometimes need to deal with staff errors and what is even worse, covered up errors that come back to bite, you are riding a time bomb and Jean will help you defuse it. Plus get you real recognition from markets and regulators.
The good news is that this is now available as online training so you only need to commit to one hour per week and no travel. You can even Do-It-Yourself! .
