From bunker buster bombs, suicide drones, guided aerial bombs, airstrikes, and ballistic missiles, the diversity and number of strike capabilities have increased in recent years. In addition to the devastating effects on human life, the use of these weapons also drastically harms the environment as well

Animal Life

            Focusing first on the impact of bomb use on animal and plant life, it is important to note that the impact is not homogeneous. For instance, the use of explosives in an area can cause the displacement of animals. This is the exact cause for mountain gazelles, which were seen in groups of hundreds before explosives drove them out of their natural habitat [1]. On the other hand, the reverse can also be true where because people move out of areas that are being or have been bombed, certain animals tend to repopulate that area. This is seen with wolves, for instance, whose population increased by approximately 50% from pre-war levels [1]. Thinking more about the secondary effect that bombing has on animals because of its primary effect on humans, pets can also be taken into consideration. Many domesticated animals are “often left behind and uncared for, leading to starvation or illness, in an area where they remain at risk from the continued bombardment” [2]. Use of such devastating forms of artillery has a multifaceted impact on animal life, one that can not be instantly resolved with a ceasefire.

Plant Life and Agriculture

Moving on to the plant and agriculture impacts of bomb use, it is no surprise that the explosions caused by certain bombs can cause some trees to be set on fire. However, this can be so drastic that in some instances, 70% of trees can be lost to being burnt and cut down compared to pre-conflict levels [1]. Focusing further on the issue of fires, the compound effects of UXOs, which are military ammunition that failed to detonate as intended, must be mentioned. This is an important factor to keep in mind since modern weapons have a failure rate of about 5% which is significant given the tons of bombs used by various countries [1]. A study focusing on the contribution of landmines to land degradation found that landmines create a “lose-lose” situation because, whether they are detonated or not, they will still change the quality and cover of land [3]. This study formulated a triangular relationship between degradation, landmines, and underdevelopment, where each affects the other. For instance, landmines destroy the soil’s structure, stability and nutrient availability and de-vegetation leading to further degradation of the bomb affected area. The people of this area are then going to go through famine and malnutrition and face income loss/poverty. This will then leave that land underdeveloped, which forces the people to exploit the natural reserves and degrade the already marginal resources, which may lead them to encounter more landmines or be limited in the land they can use [3]. When thinking about the impact of missiles on plant life, the impact on agricultural plant life must be taken into consideration. Not only do explosive weapons contaminate the land and change the quality of the land, as mentioned prior, they also damage irrigation networks which also contaminate the land [1]. In one instance, the use of these types of weaponry caused agricultural production to fall by almost 35% [1]. However, the harmful impact of bombs on agricultural-specific plant life is not only due to its impact on soil quality. In an article published out of Brown University titled “Costs of War,” it is pointed out that bombs also inhibit agriculture by “disrupting topography, forming craters, and altering drainage patterns” [4]. All in all, similarly to the multifaceted effects that bombs have on animal life, the same can undoubtedly be said for plant life.

Water

            When thinking about chemicals and debris affecting soil quality, the impact on water quality must also be considered. The United Nations Environment Program points out that damage to facilities can result in chemical spills and water contamination, as well as damage to the water supply and wastewater sanitation [5]. This in turn has a myriad of health impacts on people as well through contracting water-borne diseases for instance [5]. Taking this one step further, disruption of the supply of safe water is not the only impact; a 2021 paper from Conflict and Environment Observatory adds that explosive weapons also affect the “complex water cycle and risks wider environmental harm” [6].

Climate Change

            When thinking about the impact of anything on the environment, climate change/global warming must be in the conversation. To start, militaries are responsible for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a metric that is most likely even higher when taking into account that many governments do not provide data on emissions from their military activities [7]. This carbon footprint is caused not only by the consumption of vast amounts of fossil fuels but also by the fire and smoke caused by the weaponry [7]. Bringing back up the complex effects of explosives on animal life, plant life, and water quality, climate hazards such as droughts, floods, and wildfires can exacerbate these impacts. For instance, higher temperatures have been seen to cause abandoned munitions to explode [8], potentially causing the plethora of harm mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

            The impact of explosives, and their many forms and uses, on the environment is a hard conversation, but one that must be had. It is clear that the effects are not simple and one-dimensional; when one impact comes up, there are several other tangential ones that all build on top of each other. A fitting end to this discussion is a quote by Henry David Theoreus, a poet, philosopher, and naturalist: “Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it.”

Works Cited:

• [1] https://aoav.org.uk/2020/the-broken-land-overview-and-introduction/
• [2] https://aoav.org.uk/2019/explosive-weapons-and-their-impact-on-pets-and-pet-owners/
• [3] https://atlas.geog.pmf.unizg.hr/%7Enbuzjak/mine/Berhe_2007.pdf
• [4] https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/costs/environmental 
• [5]https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/environmental-legacy-explosive-weapons-populated-areas
• [6] https://ceobs.org/we-must-not-ignore-explosive-weapons-environmental-impact/
• [7] https://svet.charita.cz/en/news/how-wars-destroy-the-environment-and-contribute-to-climate-change/
• [8]https://air.arizona.edu/news/how-unexploded-bombs-cause-environmental-damage-and-why-climate-change-exacerbates-problem