Military-Induced Threat to the Himalayan Ecosystem: From Defilement to Possible Amelioration
Publisher: Journal of Mountain Research
Author(s): Ranjana Dey and Arindam Basu
Date: 2023
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Weapons, Waste, and Pollution
Countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan
The present research article examines the military sector's contribution to environmental degradation. It contends that nations' attitude on giving a nearly total exemption to emissions by the defence wing is incorrect. The study is concerned on the pollution of the natural environment caused by this sector in general, and specifically by its contamination of the delicate Himalayan ecology. It highlights the problems through numerous aspects for comprehension, beginning with a description of how the mountains became the chosen choice as a battleground. The deployment of armed forces at international boundaries across mountain ranges has become the norm in the Himalayan region, sadly leading to the ecologically sensitive zone's demise. The paper brings out the dilemma embedded in these inherent trade- offs, arguing that the natural environment is a source of security for nations that must not be sacrificed for fanciful war games.