Effects of War
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- Date Submitted: 10/30/2010 03:14 AM
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The impact of war on the environment and humanhealth
“Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development. States shall therefore respect international law providing protection for the environment in times of armed conflict and cooperate in its further development, as necessary.” – 1992 Rio Declaration
The application of weapons, the destruction of structures and oil fields, fires, military transport movements and chemical spraying are all examples of the destroying impact war may have on the environment. Air, water and soil are polluted, man and animal are killed, and numerous health affects occur among those still living. This page is about the environmental effects of wars and incidents leading to war that have occurred in the 20th and 21st century.
War is the number one contributor of environmental destruction not just human lives are wasted but the ecosystem. Here is the list of wars that brought great damages to the environment and its inhabitants.
The Congo war –The war was fought in former Zaire, now known as the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC). The war finally ended in 2003 when a Transitional Government took power. There were more than 2 million people became refugees. The war brought an overwhelming effect to the environment. National parks where endangered species were sheltered were often affected for exploitation of minerals and other resources. Refugees hunt wildlife for bush meat, either to consume or sell it. Elephant populations in Africa have seriously declined as a result of ivory poaching.
The Rwanda civil war – The war started when extremist military Hutu groups murdered about 80,000-1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda. Rwanda has an extremely rich environment, though; it has a particularly limited resource base.
The countless refugees from the 1994 war caused a biodiversity problem. When they returned to the already overpopulated nation after the conflict, they occupied forest reserves where endangered...
“Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development. States shall therefore respect international law providing protection for the environment in times of armed conflict and cooperate in its further development, as necessary.” – 1992 Rio Declaration
The application of weapons, the destruction of structures and oil fields, fires, military transport movements and chemical spraying are all examples of the destroying impact war may have on the environment. Air, water and soil are polluted, man and animal are killed, and numerous health affects occur among those still living. This page is about the environmental effects of wars and incidents leading to war that have occurred in the 20th and 21st century.
War is the number one contributor of environmental destruction not just human lives are wasted but the ecosystem. Here is the list of wars that brought great damages to the environment and its inhabitants.
The Congo war –The war was fought in former Zaire, now known as the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC). The war finally ended in 2003 when a Transitional Government took power. There were more than 2 million people became refugees. The war brought an overwhelming effect to the environment. National parks where endangered species were sheltered were often affected for exploitation of minerals and other resources. Refugees hunt wildlife for bush meat, either to consume or sell it. Elephant populations in Africa have seriously declined as a result of ivory poaching.
The Rwanda civil war – The war started when extremist military Hutu groups murdered about 80,000-1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda. Rwanda has an extremely rich environment, though; it has a particularly limited resource base.
The countless refugees from the 1994 war caused a biodiversity problem. When they returned to the already overpopulated nation after the conflict, they occupied forest reserves where endangered...