Nepal, Dec. 23 -- Nations go to war for natural resources, and in the process harm nature

Wars and conflicts fundamentally alter landscapes and ecosystems, leaving behind scars that often go unaccounted for amid discussions dominated by human casualties and strategic competition.

Rarely do analyses on wars consider the environment - and there are major conflicts raging across the world at the moment from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan.

Nature is regarded as an unavoidable collateral of human warfare. Yet, the intersection between conflict and ecology is critical in today's global polycrisis. This interplay positions the environment not just as the backdrop but as a key variable in geopolitical dynamics.

Framing the environment as a silent ...