An Environmental No Man's Land: The Often Overlooked Consequences of Armed Conflict on the Natural Environment
Publisher: William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review
Author(s): Evan Frauhiger
Date: 2018
Topics: Renewable Resources, Weapons, Waste, and Pollution
Countries: Syrian Arab Republic
Armed conflict has proven to be one of the most consistent and devastating occurrences throughout history and it affects almost every area of private and public life. The near constant presence of armed conflict and its economic, political, and cultural effects on the world have spawned countless analyses of its causes and effects. Despite this large amount of analysis, however, a study of the impacts of armed conflict would be incomplete without mentioning the effects on the natural environment. While most analysis focuses on how the environment impacts armed conflict and tactics, the effects of armed conflict on the environment have yet to be heavily covered. The environmental impacts of armed conflict are devastating, affecting nearly all aspects of the natural environment including sources of water, the fertility of the land, and the quality of the air. To best address this wide range of effects, the international community must adopt a multifaceted approach that combines rigorous adherence to international and regional treaties, implementation of reforms on the ground, and the provision of additional and tailored aid to each individual community.
This Note will analyze armed conflict’s three largest contributors to environmental degradation and discuss the potential solutions to each in the context of the current crisis in Syria. These solutions create a comprehensive plan for the international community to follow in order to immediately reduce the impact on the environment and the potentially permanent effects that it causes. This Note will be divided into five parts. Part I will provide a brief introduction to the conflict in Syria. Part II will discuss the environmental effects of weapons and troop movements as well as discuss the solutions to this problem. Part III will analyze refugee crises and how to best address the environmental impacts they cause. Part IV will concentrate on the problem of prison overpopulation caused by armed conflict and will propose various answers to this problem. Finally, the Conclusion will summarize the overall argument and provide additional thoughts.