Global voices on environmental priorities for areas affected by armed conflicts this #EnvConflictDay.
![On 5 November 2001, the UN General Assembly declared 6 November of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1_about_envconflictday.jpg)
To mark the United Nation’s International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment Through War and Armed Conflict 2023 – #EnvConflictDay, we invited friends and colleagues from areas affected by armed conflicts to share a message. Here’s what they wrote.
Our friend Tasneem Elfatih is one of many people currently displaced from her home city of Khartoum, Sudan due to the war.
![Sudan's latest war is leaving deep scars on its environment - including land degradation and deforestation due to displacement and resource pressure, while pollution and hazardous waste threaten health. And it’s occurring as climate change is intensifying, with floods and droughts affecting communities. As we mark #EnvConflictDay let's recognise that stopping this war is vital not only for peace but also to safeguard Sudan's environment.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/2_sudan_envconflictday.jpg)
We work with our partners Norwegian People’s Aid on environmental mainstreaming in humanitarian mine action. Bui Doan Bach works to translate these policies into locally-relevant activities on the ground in Vietnam.
![Vietnam, one of the most heavily bombed countries globally, faces compounded environmental challenges today. Herbicides like Agent Orange devastated forests and polluted water sources, while ordnance disrupted ecosystems. In addition to addressing mine action, environmental considerations are vital, given the looming threat of climate change. Integrated efforts are crucial to mitigate the ongoing environmental impact and protect Vietnam's fragile ecosystems.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/3_vietnam_envconflictday.jpg)
We were lucky enough to collaborate with Libyan researcher Malak Altaeb in our investigation into the horrific floods in Derna, Libya.
![Libya faces severe environmental challenges, including water scarcity, desertification, and pollution. Climate change exacerbates these issues, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods. For example, Storm Daniel brought heavy rainfall and flooding to several regions, disrupting communities, damaging infrastructure and exacerbating water scarcity issues. They underscore the need for climate resilience and proactive environmental management to address these compounding threats.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/4_libya_envconflictday.jpg)
Dr. Jama Jama Musse is the Director of the Hargeysa Cultural Centre in Somaliland, and a friend of our trustee Dr Sarah Njeri.
![For some, the consequences of climate change are theory while in Somaliland the devastating impact of floods and destructive storms, drought-induced migration, internal displacement, and unplanned urbanization are real. Despite that, the voice of Somalilanders is missing from the conversation table for Compensation to victims of climate change disasters. Hear us!](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/5_Somaliland_envconflictday.jpg)
Iryna is one of our Ukraine research team and based in Kyiv. She and our other Ukrainian colleague Anna bring valuable local and contextual knowledge to our research.
![The Russian war against Ukraine has devastating and often transboundary environmental consequences. Fierce fighting in highly industrialised urban areas, water pollution, soil degradation, illegal extraction of resources on the occupied territories, destruction of diverse and unique natural habitats and demolition of critical infrastructure will take decades to assess and mitigate](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/6_Ukraine_envconflictday.jpg)
Kor helped us when we were studying the condition and future prospects of the Sudd wetland in South Sudan, a hugely valuable ecosystem in an ecologically rich country – albeit one in desperate need of government leadership on the environment.
![South Sudan is engulfed in catastrophic flooding in oil rich Unity State, extreme drought in mountainous Eastern Equatoria State, rampant corruption and insecurity countrywide, looming hunger and outrageous oil contamination on the environment in both Unity and Upper Nile States. Such can only be addressed by instituting good governamce.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/7_South_Sudan_envconflictday.jpg)
We worked with Zeyad on a major historical study on the decline of the Mesopotamian Marshes in Iraq. The country faces a growing water crisis, as his messages explains.
![Iraq’s current water pollution levels are set to be the worst the country has ever witnessed. This is due to the highly deteriorated system of recycling of municipal and medical solid waste, residues of oil production and agricultural activities based on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their branches. Water treatment infrastructure is faulty and massively demolished in many places, something that needs particular attention.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/8_Iraq_envconflictday.jpg)
We’ve benefitted from Ayub’s ecological knowledge in discussions around environmental mainstreaming in mine action in Afghanistan.
![With more than 80% of the population reliant on natural resources to survive, Afghanistan is among the most vulnerable to climate change and least prepared to adapt. Decades of conflict have eroded traditional natural resource management and diverted the focus of former governments away from crucial environmental issues.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/9_Afghanistan_envconflictday.jpg)
Satellite data is incredibly powerful but you often need groundtruthing to give you comprehensive insights. When we looked at deforestation in Tigray with Tekle and colleagues at Ghent University, this proved vital for training our algorithm.
![The war in Tigray has resulted in enduring damage to both the local environment and the population. Over the course of the last three years, the region's ecosystem has sustained unprecedented levels of damage, making its restoration essential for instilling hope among survivors and facilitating their ability to envisage a better future.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/10_Tigray_envconflictday.jpg)
The last word goes to Mohammed, our friend, atmospheric scientist, and former colleague at CEOBS’ predecessor organisation. He’s is based in the UK but currently in Gaza.
![Amidst the devastating loss of human life during Israel’s bombing of Gaza it's easy to overlook the environment. But for decades the environmental human rights of the people of Gaza have been undermined by occupation, blockades and recurring conflict. The intensity of the damage right now is terrifying, and environmental recovery almost impossible to imagine.](https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/11_Gaza_envconflictday.jpg)
Thank you
It’s been a privilege to be able to share the voices of friends and colleagues globally, and we are deeply indebted to everyone we collaborate with, not only for today but in all our work. As this initiative demonstrates, the environmental dimensions of conflicts are not always straightforward to understand, particularly from a distance. It’s also increasingly important that we better understand how they interact with the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. We will only be able to do that by working with affected communities.