Scientists attempt to assess the impact of wars on the environment

2024-02-02 20:41:33, Kosova & Bota CNA

Countries involved in wars are more interested in winning the battle than in avoiding the impact of their actions on the environment. But researchers say that in the war zones of Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and other regions, the impact of armed conflicts on the environment is great. Researchers are trying to make more accurate assessments of the consequences that armed conflicts have on the environment.

The ruins of 170,000 war-damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip are not only a humanitarian but also an environmental concern.

"Chemical substances, fuel and other materials stored in warehouses can cause pollution in a war zone. The quality of groundwater resources, already poor, is being worsened by conflict," says Lindsey Cottrell of Conflict and Environment Watch.

Scientists are trying to assess the environmental impact of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Studies include the consequences of forest fires caused by fighting and pollution caused by the use of weapons. Scientists warn of a major threat to people, animals and ecosystems from the war in Ukraine.

"Explosive explosions cause new fires and release harmful chemical substances," says Nikolai Denisov of the Zoi Network for the Environment, based in Switzerland.

Researchers in Europe, Britain and the United States are trying to measure the level of release of harmful gases in war zones, which contribute to climate change.

"The level of gas release is not measured directly, but through different data such as the amount of fuel burned, or the size of the fire that caused it," says Lennard de Klerk from the "Initiative on GHG Accounting of War" organization.

A study inside Ukraine analyzed by experts says that in the first 18 months of the war, noxious gases were released at a similar annual level to those of Austria, Portugal and Hungary combined.

But the lack of international rules on measuring the release of harmful gases in conflict zones has limited the possibilities of field studies and the secrecy of military operations has made it difficult to make accurate assessments of the impact of war on the environment.

However, the authors of these studies say that these studies are important in efforts to understand and improve the global fight against climate change.

"We have learned a lot in recent years about the consequences of climate change such as floods, extreme temperatures and the other problems they have caused for us," says Benjamin Neimark of Queen Mary University of London.

According to the current international system, countries must report on the emissions of harmful gases in their territory. There are no official or legal guidelines on the extent of the release of these gases from an armed conflict.

"International efforts should be made by researchers and legislators to create rules on this issue," says Rostyslav Bun from Lviv Polytechnic University.

The United States has supported Ukraine and Israel with weapons, but Defense Department spokesman General Pat Ryder told VOA that the Pentagon takes the issue of climate change seriously.

"The Department of Defense has been clear about the issue of climate change and its consequences, including it in the national defense strategy, which states that the US military must adapt and be ready to deal with the challenges created by the consequences of current climate change," he said.

The researchers point out that while avoiding the consequences for the environment should be a high priority, dealing with the humanitarian crisis and the suffering of civilians should also be a high priority./ VOA