‘There are no winners in war but only losers’. We have heard this repeatedly. Conflicts come with agony, losses and immense tragedies. Everyone is aware of the human and economical cost of war but are we neglecting its effects on nature completely? As usual, have we taken mother earth for granted here as well? Surely, conflicts and violence between species is natural but the scale and intensity with which conflicts between humans are fought, are unprecedented. Because of new technologies, conflicts have turned into catastrophic events. Therefore, there is a need to look at its effects on nature too.
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 6th November as International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. However, dedicating a specific day is not enough to mitigate the impacts of such destruction. The environment is already crippling due to anthropogenic stresses; wars are only adding fuel to fire. Last year, Russia- Ukraine conflict dominated the news.
The gut-wrenching tragedy of loss of lives, destruction of cities and food shortage made everyone question the idea of Universal brotherhood. But as usual nature was a silent victim in this case too. Due to the constant shelling, bombings and movement of troops there was loss of habitat, forest fire and pollution. Ukraine, which is important for bird diversity, witnessed loss of nesting sites, ecological disturbance and local extinction. The war has not ended and it is claiming more lives every day. There is also a looming threat of a nuclear disaster if the situation does not deescalate.
Recent Examples of War Impacting Biodiversity
During America’s invasion of Vietnam between 1962 to 1971, the American forces sprayed more than 90 million litres of herbicide mixture on the forests. This was done to counter the Guerrilla warfare tactics of the Viet Cong but it ended up defoliating almost 3 million hectares of tropical rainforests. Due to this, horror was unleashed on many civilians who suffered from cancers and disabilities. The effects of dioxin, which was present in the herbicide, persisted for many generations. In this case, Nature was the silent victim as biodiversity in Vietnam was completely destroyed.
30 % of ecologically important mangrove forests were damaged and the forests with large trees were reduced to grasslands. Other tragedies like severe flooding, soil erosion, land degradation and alien species invasion occurred after that. The fish species in the nearby water bodies were affected so badly that fishing in those water bodies is still prohibited.
© U.S. Army Operations in Vietnam / WikiCommons
- Nuclear weapons – Nothing is more destructive than the misuse of nuclear energy as nuclear bomb is second name of catastrophe. They are the ultimate weapons to destroy everything that there is good and beautiful about our planet. The sheer amount of thermal energy that is released near the epicentre of detonator causes widespread destruction. All trees near the epicentre are charred and bodies of animals are severely burned. The blast totally defoliates and uproots the plants, the fish die due to large pressure difference and animals die due to haemorrhage. The radioactive emissions are chronic and cause chromosomal aberrations. After the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs in Japan, along with people, the environment was affected drastically.
Credit: U.S. Navy Public Affairs Wikimedia
- Iraq – When the Shia uprising began in southern Iraq, Saddam Hussein’s men drained the marshes which were the biggest wetlands in Iraq. This later caused desertification of this precious land. Moreover, setting the oil wells on fire further deteriorated the air, water, and soil resources by emission of toxic material.
- America’s so-called war on terror –By the time the Taliban humbled the American troops in Afghanistan, most of the forests in Afghanistan were damaged. Additionally, natural calamities like floods, earthquakes and problems like overgrazing, lack of regulations, lack of expertise contributed to the environmental issues.
- India China conflict – The mighty Himalayas which are a home to alpine and subalpine ecosystems, often face great pressure due to military build-up near the India China border. The hydroelectric power infrastructure is altering the hydrology. Building of roads and airports cause deforestation, glacial retreat and landslides. More land acquisition results in less space for wildlife which causes human-animal conflict.
What about military bases?
Forces don’t fight in war unless they are prepared and they need military camps and bases for combat training. They need large bases for training so a large area is deforested. This causes soil erosion and changes the ecology of the landscape. Hazardous chemicals and waste materials can contaminate the water bodies. These bases are generally areas of high vegetation and many vulnerable plant and animal species are exposed to training activities. Mock drills and practice sessions involving firearms can cause site specific degradation of land. Additionally, controlled low intensity blasts generally can cause trouble for the biodiversity in that area. If not disposed of properly, the chemical warfare agents can spell disaster.
How to build conflict resilience?
In an ideal world there will be no wars. But we don’t live in that world. So, rather than daydreaming about the utopia, it is logical to think about building conflict resiliency. Governments can declare protected areas to conserve species affected by war. Rehabilitation of species should be made a top priority. Species which are killed/ driven out of a particular conflict prone region, should be reintroduced with meticulous planning. Captive breeding can also be undertaken to increase the population of endangered species.
In case of civil unrest, the army can tactfully make the insurgent groups sign peace deals and make them drop their weapons. NGOs and social workers can be roped in for the restoration work.
How can Biodiversity be the peacemaker during war?
Today, the situation in the world is dire. Conflicts, distrust, and exploitation are increasing day by day. Resolution of conflict is not a one- way street. All countries involved in the wars should give diplomacy a chance. Apart from territorial interests, natural resources are big reasons for many global conflicts. But leaders should not forget that ‘We can milk nature but cannot exploit it’. Unfortunately, most developed countries which talk big on climate issues, are at the forefront of these exploitation expeditions.
However, against the backdrop of worsening global relations, there is still room for hope. Everyone must realize that despite the differences and disagreements, nature is the one thing that brings us together. We are blessed to be born as human beings and preserving every bit of mother earth is our utmost duty. Our problems should not make environment the victim but part of the solution. The newly updated guidelines of ICRC clearly reflect the need for additional protection to environment in conflict prone zones. Organizations like the UN should play a more active role in safeguarding the environment. Natural resources should be used wisely for strengthening the economy. Environmental protection should be an integral part of cooperation and peace building.
Conclusion
To conclude, it can be said that our biodiversity is the asset that we need to protect at all costs. Countries should learn from history or past mistakes and should take a pledge not to repeat them. Nature and natural resources are the ambassadors for peace rather than conflict.
Help us Help Them! Think Wildlife Foundation is a non profit organization with various conservation initiatives. Our most prominent campaign is our Caring for Pari intiative. Pari is a rehabilitated elephant at the Wildlife SoS Hospital. 25% of the profits from our store are donated to the elephant hospital for Pari. Other than buying our wonderful merchandise, you could donate directly to our Caring For Pari fundraiser.
Written by: Rajashri R. Nene