Are we ready to bear the environmental cost of war?

Research conducted by the Conflict and Environment Observatory estimates that militaries account for around 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The environmental cost of war is therefore both immediate and cumulative

The world is facing multiple crises due to the Middle East conflict; one in terms of fuel price hikes  and other essential items. Another unseen crisis that the conflict is contributing to is global warming. Statistics indicate that the US has launched more than 8,000 combat flights since “Operation Epic Fury” – the coordinated US-Israeli attack on Iran from late February. It has been estimated that the war has generated more than half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide during the first 120 days. 

A war not only kills people and destroys homes. It damages the systems that make life possible, including water networks, sewage plants, farmland, ports, fuel depots and electricity infrastructure, often leaving polluted air, contaminated soil and unsafe water long after the fighting subsides. 

From a historical point of view, this damage is not new. During the Vietnam war, millions of litres of herbicides, including Agent Orange, affected roughly 2.9 million hectares of land,  leaving dioxin in soils, water and food chains for decades. Field investigations conducted in Iraq warned of long-term environmental and health risks linked to depleted uranium contamination and other toxic remnants of war. These older conflicts matter because they show that the environmental damage of war does not end with a ceasefire.

Sri Lanka faced a similar fate due to its 30-year long civil war. From widespread soil and groundwater contamination due to the presence of landmines to deforestation, destruction of agricultural land, impact on coastal ecosystems and so on. 

Damage done by militaries

Research conducted by the Conflict and Environment Observatory estimates that militaries account for around 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The environmental cost of war is therefore both immediate and cumulative, destroying ecosystems today and weakening societies’ ability to cope with heat, drought, floods and crop loss tomorrow.

According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the Earth’s climate is more out of balance than at any time in observed history, as greenhouse gas concentrations drive continued warming of the atmosphere and ocean and melting of ice. The 2025 State of the Climate Report states that 2011-2025 have been the hottest years on record. Extreme events around the world, including intense heat, heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones, caused disruption and devastation and highlighted the vulnerability of inter-connected economies and societies.

Weather alerts issued in Sri Lanka indicate that the prevailing extreme temperatures will continue throughout next month. The highest temperatures are expected to mainly affect the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Western, North Central, and Southern provinces, as well as Vavuniya and Mannar districts.

According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the state of the global climate is in a state of emergency. He said that Planet Earth is being pushed beyond limits and that all key climate indicators are flashing red.  

The WMO states that the warming ocean and melting ice are driving the long-term rise in global mean sea level, which has accelerated since satellite measurements began in 1993. Projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicate that ocean warming and sea level rise will continue for centuries. Changes in ocean warming, and deep ocean pH are irreversible on centennial to millennial time scales.

As an island nation, Sri Lanka needs to prepare itself to brace warmer temperatures. While there is no option but to leave space for urbanisation to accommodate its growing population density, policies need to be implemented to ensure that people are living comfortably in these spaces. A majority of Sri Lankans may not understand the science behind global warming but are at the receiving end of this crisis.

This is why we need to protect our wetlands, rivers and almost every other water body, plant trees to provide shade and wind, allow for urbanisation with a scientific approach to ensure that the temperature is being regulated by natural means.

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