MESSAGE ON PREVENTION OF THE EXPLOITATION OF ENVIRONMENT IN WAR AND ARMED CONFLICT
On the eve of 6 November 2008, I on behalf of myself and ifop send this Message to the people of the world to observe the day that the UNO is observing it as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict and let us join them. Our organization considered any war or armed conflict as impaired ecosystems and natural resources long after the period of conflict. War and Armed Conflict in any form is illegal. War brings unspeakable horror to combatants and civilians alike and can destroy in minutes what has sometimes taken generations to achieve. It gives us human sufferings. It devastated our environment.
Israel and Palestine Conflict and its consequences is more tragic and dreadful to human kind. In recent years, an increasing number of Governments have asked the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to conduct post-conflict environmental assessments. A team is currently assessing the environmental impact of the conflict in Lebanon, and others are working closely with the Governments of Sudan and Iraq. In Sudan, UNEP's preliminary findings indicate widespread and severe environmental degradation in much of the country, especially related to desertification and deforestation. In Darfur, environmental degradation, resource competition and regional climate change are major underlying causes of food insecurity and conflict. In Iraq, the draining of the marshlands of the Euphrates/Tigris Delta during the 1980s and 1990s provides a classic example of the deliberate targeting of an ecosystem to achieve political and military ends. UNEP is helping the Government of Iraq to restore and manage the marshlands, and to rehabilitate the country's environment and its environmental management infrastructure.
UN General Assembly highlighted the day with the environmental consequences of war and the importance of neither exploiting nor heedlessly damaging ecosystems in the pursuit of military objectives. Sometimes, such damage is unavoidable. But often, with a little care or forethought, such damage can be averted.
Hostile parties have a responsibility to observe international rules and agreements, such as the Geneva Conventions, that govern the conduct of war. Some of these rules, such as a prohibition of the deliberate destruction of agricultural land, have an environmental emphasis. But, by and large, the environmental consequences of war are overlooked by contemporary laws. It is high time that we review international agreements related to war and armed conflict to ensure that they also cover deliberate and unintentional damage to the environment.
Armed Conflicts including Manipur gave us the Day for bringing a sharp understanding amongst we individuals that war destroys human civilization without a single sympathy by negating all our sustainable development objectives and let us pledge to stand united against it. Eventually all conflicts across the world should be solved politically but not militarily before destroyeing completely our environment. We may appeal to both the rivals in the conflict; respect the International norms of keeping the environment effective.
Dr S R Mangang
On the eve of 6 November 2008, I on behalf of myself and ifop send this Message to the people of the world to observe the day that the UNO is observing it as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict and let us join them. Our organization considered any war or armed conflict as impaired ecosystems and natural resources long after the period of conflict. War and Armed Conflict in any form is illegal. War brings unspeakable horror to combatants and civilians alike and can destroy in minutes what has sometimes taken generations to achieve. It gives us human sufferings. It devastated our environment.
Israel and Palestine Conflict and its consequences is more tragic and dreadful to human kind. In recent years, an increasing number of Governments have asked the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to conduct post-conflict environmental assessments. A team is currently assessing the environmental impact of the conflict in Lebanon, and others are working closely with the Governments of Sudan and Iraq. In Sudan, UNEP's preliminary findings indicate widespread and severe environmental degradation in much of the country, especially related to desertification and deforestation. In Darfur, environmental degradation, resource competition and regional climate change are major underlying causes of food insecurity and conflict. In Iraq, the draining of the marshlands of the Euphrates/Tigris Delta during the 1980s and 1990s provides a classic example of the deliberate targeting of an ecosystem to achieve political and military ends. UNEP is helping the Government of Iraq to restore and manage the marshlands, and to rehabilitate the country's environment and its environmental management infrastructure.
UN General Assembly highlighted the day with the environmental consequences of war and the importance of neither exploiting nor heedlessly damaging ecosystems in the pursuit of military objectives. Sometimes, such damage is unavoidable. But often, with a little care or forethought, such damage can be averted.
Hostile parties have a responsibility to observe international rules and agreements, such as the Geneva Conventions, that govern the conduct of war. Some of these rules, such as a prohibition of the deliberate destruction of agricultural land, have an environmental emphasis. But, by and large, the environmental consequences of war are overlooked by contemporary laws. It is high time that we review international agreements related to war and armed conflict to ensure that they also cover deliberate and unintentional damage to the environment.
Armed Conflicts including Manipur gave us the Day for bringing a sharp understanding amongst we individuals that war destroys human civilization without a single sympathy by negating all our sustainable development objectives and let us pledge to stand united against it. Eventually all conflicts across the world should be solved politically but not militarily before destroyeing completely our environment. We may appeal to both the rivals in the conflict; respect the International norms of keeping the environment effective.
Dr S R Mangang
President, ifop
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