Environmental damage from wars must be addressed in peace accords

Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Colombia show the urgent need to include environmental restoration in peace agreements to ensure long-term sustainability and peace.

Richard Marcantonio and Josefina Echavarria Alvarez write for The Conversation.

In short:

Colombia's peace accord includes extensive environmental provisions, serving as a model for other conflict zones like Ukraine and Gaza.
Few peace agreements globally include environmental protections, highlighting Colombia's unique approach.
Environmental damages from wars are vast, including contamination, deforestation, and infrastructure destruction.

Key quote:

"Peaceful postwar society requires not only respect for human rights but also protection of the environment."

— Richard Marcantonio, University of Notre Dame.

Why this matters:

Addressing environmental damage in peace accords is critical for sustainable recovery and long-term peace. Neglecting this aspect can lead to prolonged health crises and renewed conflicts. Read more: As inevitable as blood and taxes.

theconversation.com

Environmental damage from wars must be addressed in peace accords

Inside the web of pro-oil and gas groups shaping Canada’s climate change narrative

Trump exempts oil exploration in Arctic petroleum reserve from environmental reviews

Lawsuit seeks answers on EPA’s abandoned CAFO pollution panel

‘We are seen as disposable’: Rural residents fight a proposed gas pipeline

‘Every day above 1.5 C is now going to matter’

The Caspian Sea has been shrinking for decades. Now, a new island has emerged

A construction ban on data centers would be better for Ohio than the status quo, study says

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.