War destroys everything, even the environment. From Ukraine to Sudan, the "natural" cost of conflict.

Armed conflicts and wars have always caused destruction and suffering , especially among the populations involved . But one of the least considered aspects is, very often, the negative consequences of the passage of the front on the environment , a silent victim of human brutality. Animals, plant species, entire ecosystems that, under the fire of weapons, are killed or destroyed forever. Since 2001, in an effort to raise awareness on the issue, the United Nations has dedicated November 6th to raising awareness of the exploitation of the environment in war zones.

But the harmful consequences for the environment aren't limited to battlefields during armed conflicts. According to the Italian UN office, over 40% of wars in the last 60 years were linked to the exploitation of natural resources . Not just destruction, therefore, but also actual wars of conquest to gain control of natural resources such as oil and gas deposits .

The aim of the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, therefore, is to draw attention to aspects of conflict that are often ignored: "We must act with courage and urgency to reduce the risks that environmental degradation and climate change pose to conflict, and commit to protecting our planet from the debilitating effects of war," saidAntónio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Biodiversity in flames: Ukraine and Vietnam

In Ukraine, many forests have been destroyed by fires caused by the war (Ansa)

A prime example of how biodiversity is being jeopardized by war is Ukraine's forests . According to an analysis published in Global Ecology and Conservation and conducted by the University of Bologna, 808 square kilometers of forest have been lost due to the effects of fighting in the two-year period 2022-2023 alone. Experts emphasize that most of this was due to fires, with Russian occupation troops often opposing firefighting efforts. In the Mykolaiv region alone, particularly renowned for its biodiversity, approximately 30% of the forests have gone up in smoke.

Furthermore, the scenes emerging from Ukraine, now familiar from the news, bring to mind another environmental tragedy unfolding during a terrible war. During the Vietnam years , Agent Orange and napalm were just two of the means used by the United States Army to deprive the Viet Cong of their primary hiding place: the forests. Even today, the ecosystems where these chemical agents were dropped remain severely compromised, with serious consequences not only for the affected population but also for the vegetation.

In Sudan , too, the environment plays a key role in understanding the clashes currently raging around the city of Al Fashir . Behind the humanitarian tragedy linked to the siege of Darfur's capital lies a dispute over some of the most coveted places on planet Earth: Sudan's gold mines . These places, always at the center of heavy European and, more generally, foreign interference , are now in the hands of the RSF rebels, who exercise unscrupulous power there, lacking any protection under international law.

Even in the Democratic Republic of Congo , located in Central Africa, the clashes that occurred in early 2025 (and which are part of a decidedly turbulent national history) are linked to the natural resources that the country holds along the border with Rwanda. In this case, the rebels of the M23 group are in control of the mineral deposits, defending them with force against anyone who attempts to gain control of areas rich in resources such as coltan .

Yet another example, among countless examples found throughout human history, demonstrates how the control of natural resources fits squarely into a context that typically includes violations of international law, imperialist outbursts, and profound ethnic and religious conflicts. It is fitting that every November 6th we remember how, among the silent victims of these atrocities, the environment is one of the elements most affected by the consequences of armed conflicts and wars around the world.