What Is The Environmental Cost of War & Armed Conflict?

The environmental impact of war and armed conflict links us all together as a global community in ways we may not always realize.

Military activity accounts for a large portion of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions in the form of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and sulfur dioxide—leading to significant air, soil, and water pollution that damages global water supplies, disrupts agricultural practices, and increases both internal displacement and forced migration.

Conflict, chemical contaminations, and aerial warfare contribute to a reduction in the population of global flora, fauna, and species diversity. Oil from military vehicles and uranium from ammunition contaminate water supplies. Unexploded landmines continue to harm wildlife & limit access to land for agriculture & restoration efforts long after a conflict ends.

After decades of war & armed conflict, Afghanistan is one of the most contaminated countries in the world with landmines & explosive remnants of war.

Since 1989, roughly 45,000 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured by landmines, 80% of which are children.

In 2017, the US Military dropped what has been called the “Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB) on Afghanistan. It is the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used by the USA.

The toxins released from the MOAB bomb spread through the wind & water to other regions—causing extensive damage & pollution to the soil, air, & water in both Afghanistan itself & our global ecosystem.

Afghanistan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Mozambique, Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Vietnam currently face the largest environmental impact from war and conflict.

In Gaza, bombing has created 42 million tons of debris and hazardous material, much of which contains human remains and tens of thousands of bombs. Notably, the amount of debris produced in Gaza is 14x greater than the combined total from all conflicts over the past 16 years, and Northern Gaza is now being described as a "wasteland”—completely unable to sustain life.

Gaza is also experiencing an ecocide. By March 2024, nearly half of the tree cover and farmland in Gaza had been completely destroyed. Israel’s bombardment and blockade have led to a total collapse of Gaza’s civil infrastructure, including sewage treatment, waste disposal, water management, and fuel supplies. Approximately 130,000 cubic meters of sewage have polluted Gaza’s water supply.

As the Native American proverb goes, “Only when the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize that we cannot eat money.”

For more information on Uplift’s Environmental Protection and Sustainability Fund, visit upliftafghanistan.org/give.