Impact of war and armed conflict on biodiversity and the environment: Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Armed conflicts affect lands and terrain, surface and ground waters, vegetation and wildlife in a number of ways. Especially hazardous for the environment are conflicts that take place in industrialized countries possessing a large concentration of environmentally hazardous facilities, as is the case in Ukraine. The monstrous, often irreversible destruction of nature that war brings with it is an ever-present force that has the potential to alter the biosphere. Here is a review the consequences war and military aggression of the Russian Federation on ecosystem structure and function of Ukraine and neighboring countries of Europe. The Russia-Ukraine war is causing immense strain on the regional and the global environment.There is increment in the rate of forest fire from the war explosions which causes air pollution and habitat loss. In addition, the various weapons used during the conflict also increase the carbon footprint of the nations and causing more greenhouse gases emission in the atmosphere. There is also both short and long term risks due to the contamination caused by the war.Overall, it was found that wars and armed conflicts have a negative effect on the structure and functions of ecosystems, leads to the habitat stress, environmental pollution and disturbances, reduction in the number and loss of biodiversity, to the emissions of millions of units of toxic substances into the air or water. The effects of such emissions are well known as climate change and result in global warming, the melting of ice caps etc.

Author(s): Maryna Gorobei

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