Environmental Impact of Armed Conflicts
Publisher: Council of Europe
Author(s): John Howell
Date: 2023
Topics: Livelihoods, Renewable Resources, Weapons, Waste, and Pollution
Armed conflicts, wars and military aggression destroy human lives and damage human living space. Environmental damages can be multifaceted, severe, long-lasting and mostly irreversible. They affect not only ecosystems but also human health beyond the conflict area and long after the conflict is over. The human rights to life and to a healthy environment are thus undermined.
The report notes that the existing international legal framework provides for a limited protection of the environment in times of armed conflict based on international humanitarian law instruments. It highlights the need to ensure co-application of human rights and humanitarian law during armed conflicts. It also advocates for the international recognition of the crime of ecocide and measures to outlaw the use of prohibited weapons which have disastrous impact on both the environment and humans.
The report recommends steps to consolidate a legal framework for the enhanced protection of the environment in armed conflicts at national, European and international levels, notably for monitoring infringements and addressing compensation claims. Moreover, State responsibility for extraterritorial environmental damage should be strengthened, and a new regional legal instrument or treaty under the Council of Europe’s auspices should be drafted.