Gaza: an environmental disaster as well

JVL Introduction

In this article Nina Lakhani, of the Guardian,  reports on a study by Frederick Otu-Larbi, of Lancaster Environment Centre and the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana and Ben Neimark, of Queen Mary University of London. They documented the direct and indirect carbon emissions resulting from the conflicts in Palestine and surrounding countries in the 15 months since October 2023 which have exceeded the annual carbon emissions of Zimbabwe and many other countries. Their calculations are an underestimate because of “Israel’s media blockade, with data on razed farmland, desertification, remediation, and fires among other carbon-intense impacts hard to obtain.” 

As Hadeel Ikhmais, head of the climate change office at the Palestinian Environmental Quality Authority, said: “Wars not only kill people but also release toxic chemicals, destroy infrastructure, pollute soil, air and water resources and accelerate climate and environmental disasters.” In this age of accelerating environmental catastrophes all wars are wars against nature and the survival of life on earth. The study is important in reminding us of indirect emissions such as those from additional shipping journeys, resulting from the Houthi Red Sea blockade and the mega tonnes that will arise from clearing and rebuilding Gaza. It highlights the complicity of Israel’s active allies in the UK, US and other governments in both genocide against the Palestinians and global ecocide. 

TB 

This article was originally published by The Guardian on Fri 30 May 2025. Read the original here.