Prevention of war and its environmental consequences

Abstract

War leads to disastrous effects on people and the physical, biological, economic, and social environment. Environmental effects include (a) direct contamination of air, land, and water; (b) disruption of the infrastructure of society, which, in turn, leads to further environmental damage; (c) use of nonrenewable sources of energy; and (d) diversion of resources that might otherwise be used for promoting health and protecting the environment. Much can be done to minimize the environmental consequences of war and to help prevent war. Public-health-based approaches include (a) surveillance and documentation of the adverse impacts of war on the environment; (b) education and awareness-raising, and (c) design, advocacy for, and implementation of policies and programs to protect the environment, to control weapons that can harm the environment, and to help prevent war. © 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.