Environmental damages due to war in Ukraine: A perspective

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is the most prominent conflict in Europe since the Second World War and has several geopolitical, economic, infrastructure, and health implications. The war has serious negative consequences on people and the planet. The damage to industrial and commercial infrastructure can contaminate water sources, which can be hazardous for human and ecosystem health. Water shortages and deteriorating sanitary conditions are already evident since water supply and sanitary infrastructure have been hit. Air quality is adversely affected due to troop movement and constant bombarding. Chances of radiation leakage from nuclear sites also remain. The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil have been impacted due to shelling and explosions, as a result of which, agriculture has been severely affected. Military actions have caused large-scale deforestation and even wildfires. There is also fear of biodiversity loss and species extinction in the long term. The war of such nature may directly hamper efforts to deal with aspects such as climate change, sustainable development goals (SDGs), conservation and protection of biodiversity, and pollution control at local and global levels. Besides this, the repercussions of this war on essential services such as healthcare, education, social security, and public amenities will be felt for a long. As a result of important interruptions in the supply of energy and raw materials throughout the world, prices for commodities, oil, and food have risen dramatically. To avert such damages in the future and make the offenders accountable, in the long term, reforms in the mandate of the International Criminal Court are required to include environmental crimes. New international norms to safeguard the environment during conflict are urgently needed. The environment should not be considered an unavoidable war casualty. Environmental and human security are inextricably linked. The international community's reaction to the crisis must include addressing this as a priority.