11 - Scientific assessment of the long-term environmental consequences of war

Summary

Introduction

The environmental impacts of wars are almost invariably adverse, regardless of whether they are caused by direct military actions or strategic counteractions, or collateral damages, or are the result of military support activities before or after the war. The total environmental damage caused by a specific war is the result of several factors. These include: the type of war (conventional, biological, chemical, or nuclear); the types of weapons and extent to which they are used; the duration and intensity of the war; the extent and type of terrain over which the war is fought; the strategies used during the war; and the prewar environmental conditions. These factors also affect the duration of the specific environmental impacts. It has been estimated that some 200 armed conflicts have occurred since World War II, mostly in developing countries. These wars have killed more than 20 million people and displaced several millions more, causing serious environmental and economic damages.

Environmental impacts of wars

The environmental impacts of wars are often multi-dimensional. They also often have repercussions in areas long distances away from those of concentrated battle and over prolonged periods of time, long after the wars have ended. Several possible environmental impacts of war are explored below.

IMPACTS on land

Land is affected both by direct war actions and by military operations (preparations for war). Bombs and missiles contribute to the formation of craters, compaction and erosion of soil, and soil contamination by toxic and hazardous residues.