The environmental cost of wars
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
K N Ninan, a former professor and Lead Author for UNEP’s GEO-7 report, examines the often-overlooked environmental devastation caused by armed conflicts. Drawing on examples from Hiroshima to Vietnam to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and Persian Gulf conflicts, he documents how wars contaminate ecosystems, release massive carbon emissions, and leave landscapes scarred with landmines and unexploded ordnance for decades.
The article reveals staggering statistics: the Russia-Ukraine war has emitted 311 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in four years, while Ukraine’s environmental damages exceed $56.4 billion. Ninan extends his critique to include the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Iran and Lebanon, arguing that ongoing conflicts represent a civilisational regression. He concludes with a pointed reference to Gandhi, suggesting that Western civilisation’s claims to progress ring hollow amid such destruction.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
Wars Cause Lasting Ecosystem Damage
Chemical contamination from conflicts like Vietnam persists for decades, disrupting food chains, degrading soil, and spreading invasive species long after hostilities end.
Massive Carbon Footprint of Conflict
The Russia-Ukraine war has emitted 311 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in four years, undermining the Paris Agreement’s climate goals.
Landmines Create Persistent Hazards
Approximately 30 percent of Ukraine is now contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, posing long-term threats to human safety and land use.
Nuclear Risks Compound Dangers
Russia’s seizure of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and attacks on Iran’s nuclear assets raise fears of radiation catastrophes affecting wider regions.
Marine Ecosystems Under Threat
Sunken ships and damaged oil tankers release oil spills, hazardous cargo, and metal contamination that threaten coastal ecosystems and livelihoods for years.
Cultural Heritage Destruction
Ancient sites including Tehran’s 400-year-old Golestan Palace and Isfahan’s historic monuments have suffered severe damage despite UNESCO appeals for protection.
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Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
Wars Devastate Environments Beyond Human Casualties
The article’s central argument is that armed conflicts impose catastrophic costs on natural environments and cultural heritage that persist long after fighting ends. These environmental damages—from chemical contamination to carbon emissions to heritage destruction—represent a hidden toll that undermines humanity’s collective future.
Purpose
To Expose and Condemn Hidden War Costs
Ninan writes to expand public awareness of war’s environmental dimensions, implicitly criticising the selective outrage of Western powers who condemned Taliban’s destruction of Bamiyan Buddhas yet remain silent about current heritage losses. The article functions as both documentation and moral indictment.
Structure
Chronological → Thematic → Philosophical
The article begins with historical examples (Hiroshima, Vietnam), moves to contemporary conflicts (Ukraine, Gulf region), expands into thematic concerns (climate, heritage), and concludes with philosophical commentary on civilisation. Each section builds evidence for the final moral judgment.
Tone
Critical, Urgent & Morally Charged
Ninan writes with controlled indignation, using irony (billions searching for extraterrestrial life while destroying life on Earth) and pointed questions (whether Asian lives matter) to convey moral urgency. The Gandhi quote delivers a sharp concluding rebuke without descending into polemic.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
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Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
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A highly flammable sticky jelly used in incendiary bombs and flamethrowers, causing severe burns and fires that are extremely difficult to extinguish.
“…about 4 lakh tonnes of napalm bombs and 75 million litres of herbicides were used to create intense infernos…”
Relating to hydrology, the scientific study of water distribution, movement, and properties on Earth, including rivers, groundwater, and precipitation cycles.
“The prolonged war led to soil degradation, contamination of water courses, loss of biodiversity, spread of invasive species and hydrological changes…”
A large, intense, and uncontrollable fire; also used metaphorically to describe any place or situation of intense heat, chaos, or destruction.
“The infernos caused by bombing oil refineries have led to contamination of air, land and water.”
A formal promise or commitment, traditionally referring to engagement for marriage; here used metaphorically to mean a binding obligation or debt owed.
“…there is stoic silence behind the erosion of millenniums of cultural progress—which is a betrothal to generations to come.”
In a concise, forceful, and meaningful manner; expressing much in few words with substance and wit.
“A witty retort often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi makes the point pithily.”
Enduring pain or hardship without showing feelings or complaining; here used critically to describe indifferent silence in the face of moral wrongs.
“Now, there is stoic silence behind the erosion of millenniums of cultural progress…”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to the article, the environmental damages from the Russia-Ukraine war have been estimated at over $56 billion.
2Why does the author mention the Taliban’s destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues?
3Which sentence best captures the author’s main thesis about the relationship between war and civilisation?
4Evaluate each statement about the Vietnam War’s environmental impact based on the article:
The US used Agent Orange and napalm bombs during the Vietnam War.
The environmental effects of the Vietnam War continue to linger decades later.
According to the article, approximately 4 million litres of herbicides were used in Vietnam.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5Based on the author’s inclusion of the Gandhi quote about Western civilisation, what can be inferred about the author’s perspective on current global affairs?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Agent Orange was a powerful herbicide used by US forces during the Vietnam War to destroy vegetation that provided cover for enemy fighters. Approximately 75 million litres were sprayed, decimating forests, mangroves, and rice fields. The chemical caused lasting damage to ecosystems, disrupted food chains, and continues to affect the environment decades later through soil contamination and biodiversity loss.
Wars generate massive carbon emissions through military operations, fires from bombing, higher fuel consumption by military vehicles and aircraft, and destruction of energy infrastructure. The Russia-Ukraine war alone has emitted approximately 311 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in four years. These emissions undermine international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5-2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Black rain refers to rainfall contaminated with soot, oil particles, and other pollutants released into the atmosphere when oil refineries and energy infrastructure are bombed. The article mentions that black rain has already affected Tehran following attacks on oil facilities in the Gulf region, causing breathing problems among residents. This phenomenon demonstrates how warfare’s environmental effects extend beyond immediate combat zones.
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This article is rated Intermediate difficulty. It features environmental and military terminology (ordnance, herbicide, hydrological), requires understanding of rhetorical devices like irony and historical allusions, and demands the ability to track multiple examples across different time periods and geographic regions. The political undertones add interpretive complexity without requiring specialised knowledge.
K N Ninan is a former Professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC) in Bengaluru, India. He serves as a Lead Author for GEO-7, the Global Environment Outlook report published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi. His credentials in environmental economics and his role in international environmental assessment give him authority on topics connecting warfare, environmental damage, and global policy.
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