Armed conflict across the globe devastates communities, countries, and beyond. Death tolls are well-documented as they rise, but the toll that war takes on the planet is less discussed. With many war-torn areas being home to vast cultural and biological diversity, climate change can have a disastrous effect on the homes of people, plants, and animals. Conflict-ridden places like Gaza and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are subject to climate destruction, as well as many other regions.
The Gaza Strip is a 41 km long by 10 km wide Palestinian territory and the densely populated center for conflict between the Israeli military and the resistance group Hamas. With a resurgence in the conflict between Israel and Palestine that occurred just over a year ago and continues to this day, the Gaza Strip has been subject to the destruction of nature and culture. A study from this June revealed the catastrophic effects of bombs, rocket attacks, and excessive military presence on Gaza. It found that the emissions from the myriad attacks in the first 120 days of renewed conflict were greater than that of 26 countries annually. Even though the fighting is ongoing, when tensions have ceased, the estimated carbon emissions to rebuild Gaza could be greater than that of 135 countries.
With severe restrictions on movement and resources to those in Gaza, many in the past have adapted. Gazans relied on solar power for much of their electricity when there were blockades on fuel. However, as buildings were destroyed and solar panels were subsequently installed on their roofs, sustainable resources could no longer be used. Gaza also suffers from many forms of pollution, including contaminated water that floods streets and dust from rubble during and after explosions. White phosphorous, a highly toxic and dangerous substance, has notoriously been used in the region and can contaminate water, making it entirely undrinkable. These are among the many effects of conflict on the Gaza Strip.
A majority of conflicts occur in extremely biodiverse regions, which have many effects on climate change; namely, the environment is degraded but the population living there cannot care for the environment as they would during times of peace. Additionally, when there are clashes over the limited resources at their disposal, groups with more power will exert it over local communities who care for what resources they have. Especially when the conflict is a fight over resources, the planet takes a serious toll.
A prime example of this is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the cause of conflict and climate destruction is multi-faceted. The Congo Basin, which the DRC is home to, is an extremely biodiverse region home to many unique but threatened species. The basin is also home to minerals like gold and cobalt, which are highly sought after for their use in technology. In protected natural reserves, two types of mining occur: artisanal and semi-industrial. Namely, the Okapi Wildlife Reserve and Itombwe Nature Reserve, which would otherwise prohibit mining, are sites protected by Congolese armed forces. Mining is lucrative compared to many other jobs in the Congo, even more than some state jobs. Since the minerals generate so much money, the topic is a point of contention. The conflict occurs “between different branches of the state, between entrepreneurs and local populations, and between artisanal and semi-industrial miners,” as stated by researchers at the reserves.
Both types of mining themselves have harmful effects on the natural world, including deforestation and water pollution as direct effects. Indirectly, the creation of roads to access mining zones and growing populations nearby drain the natural resources and encourage destruction. Conservation efforts are crucial, yet the conflict minerals push the idea of conservation and protection to the background. Excessive military presence on these lands aims to protect the minerals from other groups taking the resources and therefore revenue, but they do not seek to protect the land from being exploited.
War and conflict, no matter the cause, have severe effects on people and the planet. Many governments and international organizations are trying to bring an end to these tensions, and once they do, the futures of the war-affected populations and the planet will be brighter.
