ISTANBUL — Barış Şen of the Polen Ecology Collective said the destruction caused by war has reached the level of “ecocide,” stressing that the solution lies in collective struggle rather than individual efforts.

 

Rising conflicts worldwide and the expansion of the defence industry are causing irreversible damage not only to human life but also to nature. Şen assessed the environmental impact of wars and advanced military technologies.

 

“The war industry is a growing trend globally. States allocate more resources to defence than to public spending such as education and healthcare. The production and sale of weapons target not only human life but also ecosystems,” he said, adding that the scale of destruction has reached the level of “ecocide.”

 

Şen noted that the environmental impact of war is often discussed only during active conflict, but said ecological damage begins much earlier through military exercises, logistical operations, fuel consumption and weapons facilities.

 

“Mining activities for rare earth elements needed by the defence industry also cause air and soil pollution,” he added.

 

He said shifting state budget priorities towards defence spending is intensifying ecological destruction, with heavy metals and toxic substances released into nature during weapons production.

 

Referring to the environmental impact of the war in Ukraine, Şen said large amounts of carbon emissions have been generated and vast forest areas destroyed. He also recalled that the destruction of a dam had harmed the Black Sea ecosystem, putting endemic fish species and dolphins at risk of extinction.

 

Highlighting the impact of military technologies on wildlife, Şen said sonar and electromagnetic systems disrupt animals’ navigation abilities, particularly affecting marine mammals and migratory birds.

 

He added that in Sudan, the civil war has turned large areas into minefields, bringing agriculture to a halt and destroying animal migration routes.

 

In Gaza, Şen said, citing United Nations data, that much of the forested area has been destroyed, while millions of tonnes of debris will have long-term environmental consequences.

 

Şen said wars cause devastation not only for humans but for all of nature, making access to clean water more difficult and rendering land unusable.

 

He also pointed to inadequate enforcement of international environmental law. “Mechanisms such as the Rome Statute are not being implemented, yet they are essential for protecting nature,” he said.

 

Şen stressed that addressing ecological destruction requires collective action: “Ecological devastation can only be confronted through organisation, solidarity and collective struggle.”