EnvConflictDay 2021: It Takes a Community to Protect the Environment from War

Nov 6, 2021 | Doug Weir
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Communicating why environmental protection is a humanitarian priority is also providing new arguments and audiences. 

The UN General Assembly declared November 6th the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict in 2001. 

The idea that conflicts somehow stop people caring about protecting where they live, and what they depend on, has been shown to be nonsense. Instead, witnessing degradation and experiencing loss first-hand can drive and sustain grassroots organising.

Environmental mainstreaming is also challenging the tools of war. Organisations are using environmental data and principles to articulate the linked ecological and humanitarian impact of weapons and military practices.

The UN Environment Programme undisputedly led efforts to assess and understand those relationships during #EnvConflictDay’s first decade.