Exploring Environmental Harm from Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas

May 28, 2020 | Roos Boer and Wim Zwijnenburg
View Original

In conflicts around the world, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) is one of the greatest risks to civilians. Research by the British NGO Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) indicates that when these weapons are used in towns and cities 9 out of 10 victims are civilians. At the same time, conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen have also demonstrated the wider impact of armed violence on environmental infrastructure and people depending on it.

This blog looks at the connection between the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and another field within the disarmament community where more attention is needed to improve the protection of civilians: the impact of conflict on the environment and how this affects lives and livelihoods of civilians.