War ravages: Pollution, landmines, military emissions harm our environment deeply

When armed conflict breaks out, we first focus on the people affected.

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Artillery strikes, rockets and landmines release pollutants, wipe out forests and can make farmland unusable. One in six people around the world have been exposed to conflict this year, from civil war in Sudan to Russia’s war in Ukraine to the Israel-Hamas war.

War has returned. Conflicts are at their highest point since the Second World War. Deaths are at a 28-year high. As we grapple with the immediate plight of people, we must not lose sight of what war leaves behind – the silent casualty of the environment.

What damage does war do? Armed conflict leaves a long trail of environmental damage, which in turn can worsen our health and that of other species. Chemical weapons and pollution from weapons stay in the environment as a toxic legacy. Explosives release pollutants such as depleted uranium into soil, while landscapes can be destroyed by troop movement and the breakdown of infrastructure.