Warfare and the Wounded Earth

On-going international and non-international armed conflicts have caused massive environmental destruction. As the armed conflicts have become urbanised, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas has not only resulted in widespread civilian deaths and injuries, but has also played a prominent role in damaging and destroying the environment. The environmental destruction does not remain confined to the territories of the states involved in conflict; it affects the entire region and even the entire planet, deepening and exacerbating the global environmental crisis. There are strong views that the destruction and damage to soil, water resources, the atmosphere, and the destruction of plant and animal life need to be considered as serious crimes under international law: a crime against humanity.

This book covers various aspects of environmental damage during international and non-international armed conflicts, environmental impact following armed conflict and prospects for the Future. The book will be a valuable resource for academicians, researchers and students of international humanitarian law and environmental law, policy makers in the government and the members of the armed forces and civil society.