The United Nations is celebrating today, (November 06) the International Day for preventing the exploitation of the environment in war and armed conflict. In a message from UN Chief issued today, Ban Ki-Moon warned against the risk of exploitation of the natural environment for military purposes in the wars and armed conflicts... calling for the need to adhere to the commitments contained in the Geneva Conventions, Protocol number one. "The natural environment enjoys protection under Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions. But this protection is often violated during war and armed conflict. Water Wells are polluted, crops torched, forests cut down, soils poisoned, and animals killed, all in order to gain military advantage. The draining of the marshlands of the Euphrates- Tigris Delta during the 1990s deliberately targeted the ecosystem for political and military goals. From the Balkans to Afghanistan, from Lebanon to Sudan, the United Nations is studying the environmental impacts of conflict across the world. We have seen how environmental damage and the collapse of institutions are threatening human health, livelihoods and security. These risks can also jeopardize fragile peace and development in post-conflict societies. In Afghanistan, warfare and institutional disintegration have combined to take a major toll. In a clear case of environmentally induced displacement, tens of thousands of people have been forced from rural to urban areas in search of food and employment." --MORE
