Conflict and Environment Observatory
@ceobs.org
CEOBS is a UK charity that provides a voice for our environment - and those who depend upon it - when it faces harm from armed conflicts and military activities. Our military and conflict greenhouse gas emissions project is @militaryemissions.org
Pinned
Has the ICC just advanced accountability for wartime environmental damage? - CEOBS
A new ICC policy could bring the environment into humanity’s most serious crimes; we unpack what the policy says and can and can't do.
ceobs.org
Last week the International Criminal Court issued a new policy on pursuing environmental war crimes.
Here we examine what the policy says, what it could and won't do, and revisit the case of Ukraine's Khakovka Dam in light of its proposals: ceobs.org/has-the-icc-... 1/3 #PERAC #IntLaw
Here we examine what the policy says, what it could and won't do, and revisit the case of Ukraine's Khakovka Dam in light of its proposals: ceobs.org/has-the-icc-... 1/3 #PERAC #IntLaw
For a few years it looked as if #EU climate and security policies were aligning; the bloc's #CBAM carbon border policy is an example of how this is unraveling ceobs.org/how-the-eus-...
How the EU’s new carbon border undermines military decarbonisation - CEOBS
Exempting military products from the EU’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) undermines the bloc’s climate and defence policies.
ceobs.org
February 8, 2026 at 8:51 AM
For a few years it looked as if #EU climate and security policies were aligning; the bloc's #CBAM carbon border policy is an example of how this is unraveling ceobs.org/how-the-eus-...
Reposted by Conflict and Environment Observatory
#Military activities are a source of #PFAS pollution but DEFRA's UK plan to tackle PFAS pollution is woefully weak, leading with "Their use in defence equipment and military capability contributes to protecting national security." www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/x
PFAS Plan: building a safer future together
www.gov.uk
February 5, 2026 at 9:13 AM
#Military activities are a source of #PFAS pollution but DEFRA's UK plan to tackle PFAS pollution is woefully weak, leading with "Their use in defence equipment and military capability contributes to protecting national security." www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/x
During the past week #Israel has been conducting aerial #glyphosate spraying in border areas of #Lebanon and #Syria. UN peacekeepers suspended patrols; meanwhile Lebanon's president called it “an environmental and health crime” and a violation of sovereignty www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f... 1/4
Israel accused of spraying cancer-linked herbicide on farms in southern Lebanon
President condemns ‘environmental and health crime’ as critics say Israel seeks to make southern Lebanon uninhabitable
www.theguardian.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:13 AM
During the past week #Israel has been conducting aerial #glyphosate spraying in border areas of #Lebanon and #Syria. UN peacekeepers suspended patrols; meanwhile Lebanon's president called it “an environmental and health crime” and a violation of sovereignty www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f... 1/4
We're stoked with the line-up for the roundtable we're co-convening at the @ecsa.ngo 2026 conference next month. It'll explore the potential and applications of #CitSci in areas affected by armed conflicts, with perspectives from UKR, PAL, IRQ, SUD and DRC nomadit.co.uk/conference/e...
February 5, 2026 at 10:20 AM
We're stoked with the line-up for the roundtable we're co-convening at the @ecsa.ngo 2026 conference next month. It'll explore the potential and applications of #CitSci in areas affected by armed conflicts, with perspectives from UKR, PAL, IRQ, SUD and DRC nomadit.co.uk/conference/e...
In the absence of state regulations, gold mining in #Afghanistan’s remote province of Badakhshan "has become a free-for-all, with no accountability or control" impacting critical water resources in the climate-exposed country. thediplomat.com/2026/01/afgh...
Afghanistan’s Secret Gold Rush Risks Poisoning Its Waters
The largely hidden gold rush in Badakhshan poses considerable risks to Afghans, and others living downstream in Central Asia.
thediplomat.com
February 5, 2026 at 10:10 AM
In the absence of state regulations, gold mining in #Afghanistan’s remote province of Badakhshan "has become a free-for-all, with no accountability or control" impacting critical water resources in the climate-exposed country. thediplomat.com/2026/01/afgh...
#Military activities are a source of #PFAS pollution but DEFRA's UK plan to tackle PFAS pollution is woefully weak, leading with "Their use in defence equipment and military capability contributes to protecting national security." www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/x
PFAS Plan: building a safer future together
www.gov.uk
February 5, 2026 at 9:13 AM
#Military activities are a source of #PFAS pollution but DEFRA's UK plan to tackle PFAS pollution is woefully weak, leading with "Their use in defence equipment and military capability contributes to protecting national security." www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/x
Discussion on how southern #Lebanon bears the ecological scars of war: orchards are gone, beehives destroyed and livelihoods lost; fields and forests were burned by white phosphorus, while explosive remnants of war remain. theconversation.com/lebanons-orc... 1/2
Lebanon’s orchards have been burnt, wildlife habitat destroyed by Israeli strikes – raising troubling international law questions
Ongoing conflict, particularly in a three-month period in late 2024, caused widespread environmental destruction and the spread of toxic materials.
theconversation.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Discussion on how southern #Lebanon bears the ecological scars of war: orchards are gone, beehives destroyed and livelihoods lost; fields and forests were burned by white phosphorus, while explosive remnants of war remain. theconversation.com/lebanons-orc... 1/2
#Ukraine's scientists are working under enormously difficult conditions to conserve nature, even as the war overtakes protected areas and vital research facilities and staff are called up to fight www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Nothing is sacred to them’: the race to save rare plants as Russian troops advance
With some of Ukraine’s most valuable biodiversity sites and science facilities under occupation, experts at Sofiyivka Park in Uman are struggling to preserve the country’s natural history
www.theguardian.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:03 PM
#Ukraine's scientists are working under enormously difficult conditions to conserve nature, even as the war overtakes protected areas and vital research facilities and staff are called up to fight www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Conflict and Environment Observatory
The EU's new #CBAM carbon border tax contains a military exemption that not only undermines industrial decarbonisation, it also places military supply chains at risk, meaning it runs counter to both EU #climate and defence policy. Our new post explains more: ceobs.org/how-the-eus-...
How the EU’s new carbon border undermines military decarbonisation - CEOBS
Exempting military products from the EU’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) undermines the bloc’s climate and defence policies.
ceobs.org
February 2, 2026 at 1:24 PM
The EU's new #CBAM carbon border tax contains a military exemption that not only undermines industrial decarbonisation, it also places military supply chains at risk, meaning it runs counter to both EU #climate and defence policy. Our new post explains more: ceobs.org/how-the-eus-...
The human cost of our appetite for critical minerals.
“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse in eastern DRC, officials say
Rubaya mine produces about 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, used in mobile phones
www.theguardian.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:44 PM
The human cost of our appetite for critical minerals.
“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Last June we tracked the environmental consequences of the war between #Israel and #Iran. With war again on the horizon, this overview identifies some of the trends that may again emerge ceobs.org/the-emerging...
The emerging environmental consequences of the Israel-Iran war - CEOBS
A week into the Israel-Iran War we review some of the key environmental issues and trends that are emerging,
ceobs.org
January 27, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Last June we tracked the environmental consequences of the war between #Israel and #Iran. With war again on the horizon, this overview identifies some of the trends that may again emerge ceobs.org/the-emerging...
The World Heritage Convention is often touted as a vehicle for environmental protection during conflict but for years its shown limited success in protecting the unique #biodiversity of #Yemen's #Socotra archipelago from pressures linked to the war english.elpais.com/climate/2026... #PERAC
Power vacuum in Yemen threatens biodiversity of the one-of-a-kind Socotra archipelago
The small paradise in the Indian Ocean, known for being home to numerous endemic species, has suffered significant environmental damage since civil war broke out in 2014
english.elpais.com
January 27, 2026 at 8:13 AM
The World Heritage Convention is often touted as a vehicle for environmental protection during conflict but for years its shown limited success in protecting the unique #biodiversity of #Yemen's #Socotra archipelago from pressures linked to the war english.elpais.com/climate/2026... #PERAC
UK intelligence has assed the threats to national security from #biodiversity collapse, it's grim reading and its findings are applicable globally.
The good news is that it recognises that nature is "a foundation of national security": www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/3
The good news is that it recognises that nature is "a foundation of national security": www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/3
Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security
This strategic assessment explores how global biodiversity loss and the collapse of critical ecosystems could affect the UK’s resilience, security and prosperity.
www.gov.uk
January 22, 2026 at 2:55 PM
UK intelligence has assed the threats to national security from #biodiversity collapse, it's grim reading and its findings are applicable globally.
The good news is that it recognises that nature is "a foundation of national security": www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/3
The good news is that it recognises that nature is "a foundation of national security": www.gov.uk/government/p... 1/3
'Attention on climate security and adaptation must not distract from the parallel need for assertive action to address the cause of climate change and work to reduce NATO’s own GHG emissions,' says NATO STO's new report on #ClimateChange and security: www.sto.nato.int/document/the... 1/3
The Effects of Climate Change on Security | NATO Science and Technology Organization
This report analyses how climate change rapidly transforms NATO’s strategic environment. Four case studies are presented: the northwestern parts of Africa, the Arctic, the east flank (Dnipro watershed...
www.sto.nato.int
January 20, 2026 at 9:18 AM
'Attention on climate security and adaptation must not distract from the parallel need for assertive action to address the cause of climate change and work to reduce NATO’s own GHG emissions,' says NATO STO's new report on #ClimateChange and security: www.sto.nato.int/document/the... 1/3
The Al-Sunut Forest Reserve in #Khartoum #Sudan largely survived the war but social media footage suggests deforestation following the recapture of the city. Wartime deforestation rates are very high across Sudan as people seek fuelwood and charcoal. 1/2 #EyesOnSudan
January 19, 2026 at 12:17 PM
The Al-Sunut Forest Reserve in #Khartoum #Sudan largely survived the war but social media footage suggests deforestation following the recapture of the city. Wartime deforestation rates are very high across Sudan as people seek fuelwood and charcoal. 1/2 #EyesOnSudan
Last week Doug was in Amman as part of a @fesonline.bsky.social project on war and the environment in the Middle East and beyond. He's working with @annackermann.bsky.social on a chapter exploring what regional lessons can be gleaned from #Ukraine's sustainable recovery discourse.
January 19, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Last week Doug was in Amman as part of a @fesonline.bsky.social project on war and the environment in the Middle East and beyond. He's working with @annackermann.bsky.social on a chapter exploring what regional lessons can be gleaned from #Ukraine's sustainable recovery discourse.
"In a world without climate breakdown, #Iran’s decades of water mismanagement may not have mattered quite so intensely. But coupled with the grinding impact of sanctions, the entire system has been tipped into what could be a terminal crisis." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
How ‘day zero’ water shortages in Iran are fuelling protests
Supply failures are dramatic example of way climate crisis threatens basic human needs – and with it political stability
www.theguardian.com
January 15, 2026 at 5:18 PM
"In a world without climate breakdown, #Iran’s decades of water mismanagement may not have mattered quite so intensely. But coupled with the grinding impact of sanctions, the entire system has been tipped into what could be a terminal crisis." www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Reposted by Conflict and Environment Observatory
War devastates lives, displaces communities, and shatters societies.
According to @ceobs.org, global militaries are also responsible for roughly 5.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire aviation and shipping industries combined, deepening the environmental crisis.
According to @ceobs.org, global militaries are also responsible for roughly 5.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire aviation and shipping industries combined, deepening the environmental crisis.
The hidden, and often ignored, cost of war on the planet
Learn about the alarming environmental cost of war, with militaries as major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions.
geographical.co.uk
January 14, 2026 at 10:45 AM
War devastates lives, displaces communities, and shatters societies.
According to @ceobs.org, global militaries are also responsible for roughly 5.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire aviation and shipping industries combined, deepening the environmental crisis.
According to @ceobs.org, global militaries are also responsible for roughly 5.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than the entire aviation and shipping industries combined, deepening the environmental crisis.
Reposted by Conflict and Environment Observatory
Heavy winter rains in #Gaza have flooded displacement camps, spreading misery and disease. As these @unrwa.org images show, already vulnerable people in tents and shelters are highly exposed. The flooding has also drawn attention to conflict pollutants. 1/3
January 8, 2026 at 11:47 AM
Heavy winter rains in #Gaza have flooded displacement camps, spreading misery and disease. As these @unrwa.org images show, already vulnerable people in tents and shelters are highly exposed. The flooding has also drawn attention to conflict pollutants. 1/3
Heavy winter rains in #Gaza have flooded displacement camps, spreading misery and disease. As these @unrwa.org images show, already vulnerable people in tents and shelters are highly exposed. The flooding has also drawn attention to conflict pollutants. 1/3
January 8, 2026 at 11:47 AM
Heavy winter rains in #Gaza have flooded displacement camps, spreading misery and disease. As these @unrwa.org images show, already vulnerable people in tents and shelters are highly exposed. The flooding has also drawn attention to conflict pollutants. 1/3
#Ukraine is increasingly targeting Russian oil assets in the Black and Caspian seas. While tankers such as the QENDIL - grounded near Turkey's Bozcaada island - have not been carrying oil when attacked, they are carrying fuel oil, presenting a marine pollution risk. Image via @tombike.bsky.social
January 7, 2026 at 9:48 AM
#Ukraine is increasingly targeting Russian oil assets in the Black and Caspian seas. While tankers such as the QENDIL - grounded near Turkey's Bozcaada island - have not been carrying oil when attacked, they are carrying fuel oil, presenting a marine pollution risk. Image via @tombike.bsky.social
Government bodies, local authorities and civil society are planting trees in #Syria, as a small step towards environmental recovery. But in the face of deforestation, wildfires and climate change the country also needs to reseed environmental governance. english.noonpost.com/p/syrias-ref...
Syria’s Reforestation Campaigns: Can They Repair the War-Torn Landscape?
Reforestation campaigns have emerged as a central feature of Syria’s environmental response, representing one of the most prominent local efforts to restore green cover after years of extensive ecolog...
english.noonpost.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:38 AM
Government bodies, local authorities and civil society are planting trees in #Syria, as a small step towards environmental recovery. But in the face of deforestation, wildfires and climate change the country also needs to reseed environmental governance. english.noonpost.com/p/syrias-ref...
The #Indonesian military is helping drive deforestation in #Papua #biodiversity hotspot:
“It’s hard to justify this project from any perspective . . . environmental, climate and the wellbeing of local communities.” www.ft.com/content/27a6...
“It’s hard to justify this project from any perspective . . . environmental, climate and the wellbeing of local communities.” www.ft.com/content/27a6...
Indonesia calls in military to help clear forests at rapid pace
Deforestation under way on 3mn hectares for state-backed food project
www.ft.com
December 29, 2025 at 8:56 AM
The #Indonesian military is helping drive deforestation in #Papua #biodiversity hotspot:
“It’s hard to justify this project from any perspective . . . environmental, climate and the wellbeing of local communities.” www.ft.com/content/27a6...
“It’s hard to justify this project from any perspective . . . environmental, climate and the wellbeing of local communities.” www.ft.com/content/27a6...
#Iraq is 5th globally in exposure to the #ClimateCrisis and this story of wheat intersects with drought, water governance, economy and security. www.reuters.com/business/env...
Iraq's dreams of wheat independence dashed by water crisis
Iraqi wheat farmer Ma'an al-Fatlawi has long depended on the nearby Euphrates River to feed his fields near the city of Najaf. But this year, those waters, which made the Fertile Crescent a cradle of ...
www.reuters.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:49 AM
#Iraq is 5th globally in exposure to the #ClimateCrisis and this story of wheat intersects with drought, water governance, economy and security. www.reuters.com/business/env...
