Conversely, there are many examples of natural resources serving as catalysts for peaceful cooperation, confidence-building and poverty reduction. It can fuel and finance existing conflicts and it can increase the risk of relapse. Poor governance of the environment and natural resources can contribute to the outbreak of conflict. They also compound poverty and tear apart the fabric of sustainable development. These tragic events – which have affected more than two billion people – destroy infrastructure, displace populations, and fundamentally undermine human security. Since the beginning of this century, the world has witnessed more than 2,500 disasters and 40 major conflicts. Conflicts involving natural resources have also been found to be twice as likely to relapse. Water wells have been polluted, crops torched, forests cut down, soils poisoned, and animals killed to gain military advantage.Īccording to UN Environment, over the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources, whether high-value resources such as timber, diamonds, gold and oil, or scarce resources such as fertile land and water. The toxic legacy of war is often ignored and with it the long-term damage to the health of millions of people struggling to rebuild their homes and their lives. Rarely do we pause to consider the environmental devastation that wars cause. When we measure the brutality of war we often count the dead bodies, the destroyed homes and the lives upended by violence. 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.
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