IMPACT OF WAR and military

activities ON ENVIRONMENT
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
And Pollution

 Studies have found a strong positive correlation between

military spending and increased greenhouse gas emissions

 Additionally, military activities have resulted in the

contamination of approximately 39 000 sites .
 Armed forces from around the world are
responsible for the emission of two thirds of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) , causing
severe damage to the ozone layer .

 In addition, naval accidents during have

dropped at minimum 50 nuclear warheads
and 11 nuclear reactors into the ocean,
they remain on the ocean floor
Land and resource use
 Military activity uses solvents, fuels and
other toxic chemicals which can leach
toxins into the environment that remain
there for decades and even centuries

 Furthermore, heavy military vehicles

can cause damage to soil and
infrastructure.
 More than fifty percent of the
helicopters in the world are for
military use .

 Approximately , twenty-five
percent of jet fuel consumption is
by military vehicles.

 These vehicles are also extremely

inefficient, carbon intensive, and
discharge emissions , which
causes profound air pollution , in
the upper layer of the
atmosphere .
 Military-caused noise pollution can also diminish the quality of life for Land animals
and is even more pronounced for marine ecosystem . Many marine animals like
whales , dolphins etc. use sound waves to find their way . The sound waves used by
the Navy interfere with their echolocation and death of marine animals can occur
due to hemorrhages, changed diving pattern, migration to newer places, and
damage to internal organs and an overall panic response to the foreign sounds.
Case Studies
Vietnam War , And
The Environment
Environmental Effects
Of The War

 The Vietnam War had significant

environmental implications by the use of
chemical agents to destroy military
significant vegetation.

 The US military used “more than 20 million

gallons of herbicides, were sprayed by the
US to defoliate forests, clear growth along
the borders of military sites and eliminate
enemy crops
The chemical agents gave the
US an advantage in wartime
efforts. However, the vegetation
was unable to regenerate and
left behind bare mudflats even
years after spraying.
A mid-1980s study by Vietnamese
Many animal species were exposed
ecologists documented just 24
to Agent Orange during the Vietnam
species of birds and 5 species of
War. The dioxin, TCDD, causes both
mammals present in sprayed forests
common and uncommon tumors in
and converted areas, compared to
animals . It also causes cancer in both
145-170 bird species and 30-55 kinds
animals and humans.
of mammals in intact forest.“
 The waters in Vietnam that
were sprayed with Agent
Orange were contaminated ,
this caused a deterioration of
the marine life of the affected
areas . Of all the dioxins
known to man, TCDD is the
most toxic one. It effected
the entire ecology of Vietnam
including the animals,
humans, and foliage
World War II
Affect of nuclear bombs…

 On August 6 , 1945, the United

States of America dropped an
atomic bomb over the city of
Hiroshima in Japan , and then
dropped a second atomic bomb
in Nagasaki, Japan on August 9.

 The temperature once the bombs

were blasted reached about
7200°F (3980 C) . With
temperature that high, all the flora
and fauna are destroyed within
the impact zone .
Conti….
The radioactive particles released when the atomic bomb
was dropped and contaminated the land and water for
miles. The initial blast caused winds which crushed trees and
buildings in its path .

Aquatic organisms were particularly sensitive to the effects

of the blast. The results from the atomic bomb caused a
large die-off in the fish population and caused a cascade in
the food web system.
Affect Of Chemical Warfare

 Chlorine gas and mustard gas

were developed during WW2,
and poisoned lands on and near
the battlefields

 Later chemists developed

chemical bombs, which were
packaged in barrels and directly
deposited in the oceans

 Through the chemical disposal in

the ocean it damages marine
and terrestrial ecosystems.
 Affect Of Oil
Spills

 Oil contamination in the Atlantic

Ocean due to World War II
shipwrecks is estimated at over
15 million tonnes , the enormous
amount of oil which Was leaked
into the water damaged Marine
ecosystems during World War II .
To this day, traces of oil can still
be found in the Atlantic Ocean
from the naval shipwrecks which
happened during World War II
and continue to damage
marine life .
The Gulf War
Impact Of War On
Environment
 The application of depleted-
uranium-tipped projectiles in Kuwait
and Iraq polluted the Arabian
Desert and its divisions.

 The emission of air pollutants

increased by 705 percent in
Baghdad, which is 887 percent
more than the World Health
Organization recommendation.

 The smoke from oil fires rose one to

four kilometers high and blocked
sun shine in the Kuwait region .
Some countries such as Turkey,
Syria, and Afghanistan reported
black rain due to the smoke
caused by oil fire
 On January 21, 1991, Iraqi troops
opened valves at the Persian Gulf,
releasing between four and
eleven million oil barrels into the
sea. Kuwaiti experts estimate the
oil leaks made about 200 lakes.
The oil in these pools evaporated,
which is expected to create a
thick sediment of oil.

 Additionally, the number of

aquatic animals and birds
declined dramatically by 100,000-
230,000, while 100 mammals were
killed.
Positive Role Of Military : A
Case Study Of Indian
Army Ecological Task
Force (ETF)
 ABOUT ARMY’S
ECOLOGICAL TASK FORCE

 The concept of ETF was first initiated by the

Indian government in 1980 to undertake
ecological restoration work in terrains
rendered difficult either due to remote
location, severe degradation or risky law-and-
order situations.

 Under this scheme, the battallions would be

raised by the Ministry of Defense from retired
army personels to promote and provide
meaningful employment to local ex-
servicemen in the Territorial Army.
  The first battalion of the ETF was commissioned
in 1982 with the aim of saving nearly 2500
hectares deforested mining area in the the
Shiwalik hills from turning into a rock-strewn
THE desert.

AFFORESTATION
 For the next few years, the 243-strong 127th
IN THE SHIWALIK Infantry Battalion (Garhwal Rifles) worked and
Over 2000 bunds were built to check soil
erosion in the hills while the barren land,
pockmarked by limestone quarries, was
greened through massive afforestation.
  In 1983 , 128th Infantry Battalion (Rajputana Rifles)
had been deployed in Rajasthan’s Thar desert, 80
km off Bikaner. The aim was the stabilization of
The sand dunes and the creation of a greenbelt all
along the left bank of Indira Gandhi Canal,
covering about 35,000 hectares
Afforestation
And  in seven years, this project too was completed
successfully — the 668-men battalion had
Ecosystem carefully nurtured over 63 lakh plants along the
50-km stretch, creating an oasis that would

Development benefit the local community for years to come!

In Rajasthan  The team also developed a lake at Amarpura,

whose thriving ecosystem soon started attracting
migratory birds. It was later declared a bird
sanctuary by the Rajasthan Government.
OUR “GREEN HEROES”!!

 In the last three decades, ETF battalions have planted and

cared for over 6 crore saplings and covered more than 70000
hectares of land, with a 70-80% survival rate. This is a significant
contribution, especially when you consider that this has been
achieved in areas with inhospitable terrain, harsh weather and
the ever-looming threat of insurgent attacks.

 At a time when military in the developed countries have just

started taking an interest in climate change mitigation, the
Indian Army has set an outstanding example for others to
emulate. It’s time we acknowledged these unsung foot soldiers
and their role in ensuring that our country remains clean and
green.
THANK YOU