Protecting the environment against the impacts of armed conflict

Abstract

Environmental protection during and after armed conflict has gained significant momentum, as evinced by the proposed inclusion of a provision related to the topic in the draft Global Pact for the Environment and by the relevant work of the United Nations International Law Commission, which culminated in the recent adoption on first reading of draft principles on the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts. On the other hand, it is a truism that during and post-armed conflict, humanitarian considerations rank higher on the agenda of priorities of the international community. Against this background, I argue that the pluralistic stewardship approach, which accounts for the interaction of multiple value systems, informs and enriches our understanding of the interests and dynamics that underpin the normative landscape of environmental protection during and after armed conflict. By adopting this approach, the thesis sheds light on the protection of the environment against the impacts of armed conflict.