Observed: 6 November • Established by UN General Assembly Resolution 56/4 (2001)
War doesn’t end when the guns fall silent. Oil-soaked wetlands, poisoned rivers, mined forests, and displaced wildlife outlive ceasefires by decades. On 6 November 2025, the United Nations marks the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict—an urgent reminder that nature is a civilian in every war zone. If you care about climate, clean water, food security, and public health, this day is your signal to pay attention.
Why this day matters now
Two hard truths frame the 2025 conversation:
- Conflict and nature are tightly linked. Analyses cited by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) indicate that up to 40% of internal conflicts involve competition over natural resources—from water basins to minerals. When resources trigger or fuel violence, ecosystems become targets, leverage, and collateral damage.
- Environmental harm outlasts conflict. Contaminated soils, unexploded ordnance, burned wells, and shattered water systems undermine recovery, push communities into displacement, and magnify disaster risk for a generation or more.
What “environmental exploitation in war” looks like
It isn’t abstract. Here are three snapshot cases that continue to shape global policy and science-based recovery:
- Vietnam (1960s–70s): Large-scale defoliants like Agent Orange caused long-term damage to forests and soils; restoration requires multi-decade monitoring and clean-up.
- Kuwait (1991): Burning oil wells created massive air pollution and coastal contamination; remediation combined emergency engineering with coastal recovery plans.
- Eastern Europe & the Middle East (21st century): Shelling of industrial zones, damaged dams and water plants, and fires in protected areas have left toxic legacies and complex cross-border water risks.
Myth vs. Reality
- Myth: Environmental damage is “natural collateral.”
Reality: Much of it is preventable through adherence to international humanitarian law, military environmental guidelines, and risk-aware targeting policies. - Myth: Fixing nature can wait until the peace deal.
Reality: Immediate environmental triage (water testing, hazardous-site mapping, fire control) saves lives and reduces long-term costs. - Myth: Ecology is separate from security.
Reality: Water, land, and energy security are stability issues; degrading them worsens displacement, food crises, and conflict relapse risk.
What’s moving in 2025: from “reactive clean-up” to “green peacebuilding”
Policy and practice are shifting toward a prevention-first mindset:
- Environmental screening in conflict zones: Mapping hazardous sites (chemical plants, tailings dams, depots) to reduce accidental toxic releases.
- Nature-based recovery: Reforestation, wetland restoration, and soil remediation integrated into reconstruction budgets—not treated as afterthoughts.
- Resource governance reforms: Transparent contracts for water, mining, and energy in post-conflict states to reduce corruption and re-ignition risks.
- Cross-border cooperation: River-basin data sharing and joint early-warning systems where damaged infrastructure threatens downstream communities.
“Protecting the environment in conflict isn’t just ethical—it’s strategic. Healthy ecosystems shorten recovery time, lower humanitarian costs, and reduce the chance of a conflict returning.”
What countries, cities, and agencies can do next
- Codify green rules of engagement: Adopt military environmental guidelines aligned with humanitarian law; train commanders and engineers to apply them.
- Fund rapid environmental triage: Include water quality testing, hazardous-site assessments, and wildfire prevention in emergency packages.
- Build “green reconstruction” lines in budgets: Tie infrastructure funding to soil, water, and biodiversity safeguards; require environmental impact assessments even in emergency procurement.
- Protect environmental defenders: Secure channels for scientists, rangers, and NGOs to report damage without reprisals.
What individuals can do today
- Learn & share: Use the UN observance page to post a short explainer on social. Hashtag ideas:
#EnvironmentInWar,#ProtectNatureInConflict. - Support credible projects: Donate to organizations restoring wetlands, demining protected areas, or monitoring water safety.
- Advocate locally: Ask your representatives to back international efforts that safeguard water, energy, and biodiversity in conflict settings.
Further reading & sources
- United Nations — International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict
- UN Environment Programme (UNEP) — Environment, Peace and Security
Quick FAQ
Is there an official “theme” for 2025?
The UN marks the day annually on 6 November; some years highlight focus areas through campaigns and reports rather than a single global theme. Always check the UN page for the latest updates.
What makes environmental damage in war different from natural disasters?
Conflict damage often targets or incidentally hits industrial and energy sites, causing toxic releases and complex cross-border risks. Clean-up requires security access, demining, and long-term monitoring.
How does this connect to climate change?
Burning infrastructure and land can spike emissions; damaged ecosystems lose their ability to store carbon. Restoring forests, soils, and wetlands after conflict accelerates both recovery and climate action.
Related reading: World Science Day for Peace and Development 2025
