Amira Shaheen

Kate Zinszer

Rana Dajani

Samer Abuzerr

Yara Ashour

Frontiers in Human Dynamics

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TYPE OpinionPUBLISHED 18 November 2024DOI 10.3389/fhumd.2024.1463902OPEN ACCESSEDITED BYAndrea J. Nightingale,University of Oslo, NorwayREVIEWED BYAmira N. Mostafa,Egyptian Meterological Authority, Egypt*CORRESPONDENCESamer Abuzerrsamer_516@hotmail.comRECEIVED 12 July 2024ACCEPTED 31 October 2024PUBLISHED 18 November 2024CITATIONShaheen A, Dajani R, Zinszer K, Ashour Y andAbuzerr S (2024) The war on the Gaza Stripand its consequences on global warming.Front. Hum. Dyn. 6:1463902.doi: 10.3389/fhumd.2024.1463902COPYRIGHT© 2024 Shaheen, Dajani, Zinszer, Ashour andAbuzerr. This is an open-access articledistributed under the terms of the CreativeCommons Attribution License (CC BY). Theuse, distribution or reproduction in otherforums is permitted, provided the originalauthor(s) and the copyright owner(s) arecredited and that the original publication inthis journal is cited, in accordance withaccepted academic practice. No use,distribution or reproduction is permittedwhich does not comply with these terms.The war on the Gaza Strip and itsconsequences on globalwarmingAmira Shaheen1, Rana Dajani2, Kate Zinszer3, Yara Ashour4 andSamer Abuzerr5*1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, An-Najah National University,Nablus, Palestine, 2Department of Biology and Biotechnology, The Hashemite University, Zarqa,Jordan, 3Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, University ofMontreal, Montreal, QC, Canada, 4Department of General Surgery, Al-Quds University, Gaza, Palestine,5Department of Medical Sciences, University College of Science and Technology-Khan Younis, GazaStrip, PalestineKEYWORDSwar, Gaza Strip, consequences, global warming, climate changesIntroductionThe ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip is a deeply entrenched issue marked byrepeated cycles of violence and devastation. While the immediate human toll and politicalimplications often receive global attention, the war’s environmental impact is equallyprofound yet under acknowledged. Environmental destruction itself has become a weaponof war, one that not only compounds immediate human suffering but also dismantlespossibilities for future livelihoods. The devastation of Gaza’s environmental resourceshas broad implications, from increasing the region’s vulnerability to climate change toperpetuating a cycle of multigenerational suffering due to long-lasting ecological damage.This article explores how the environmental degradation resulting from the conflict affectsnot only Gaza but also contributes to global warming and climate instability in the widerregion (UNEP, 2024).What’s at stakeThe recent conflict in Gaza has left an extraordinary mark on its landscape, withbombings and attacks that have not only shattered infrastructure but have also inflictedwidespread ecological damage. In the wake of bombardments, approximately 37 milliontons of debris have polluted the land, contaminating both soil and water with toxicsubstances, including asbestos and heavymetals. This contamination and the lack of properwastemanagement exacerbate existing environmental issues, affecting the quality of air andwater and contributing to global warming in ways often overshadowed by other aspects ofthe conflict (Arab, 2024).The scale of emissions from the war itself is significant. In the initial 2months followingOctober 7, the conflict’s emissions equaled the burning of at least 150,000 tons of coal,producing more greenhouse gases than the annual carbon footprint of many climate-vulnerable nations. The reconstruction of 100,000 damaged buildings in Gaza alone, ifapproached through conventional methods, could result in an additional 30 million metrictons of greenhouse gases. This figure surpasses the yearly emissions of over a hundredcountries and matches those of nations like New Zealand. The international communitymust, therefore, recognize that the conflict is not only a humanitarian crisis but also anenvironmental one with global repercussions (Mani, 2021).Frontiers inHumanDynamics 01 frontiersin.orgShaheen et al. 10.3389/fhumd.2024.1463902Destruction of infrastructure andimmediate environmental impactsThe impact of the conflict on Gaza’s infrastructure has beencatastrophic. Power plants, waste management systems, and watertreatment facilities have suffered extensive damage, renderingthem inoperative and unable to provide essential services. Thisbreakdown leads to further ecological consequences. For example,without functional waste management, refuse accumulates in openareas, posing health risks and leading to the spread of contaminantsinto the air, water, and soil. Damaged power plants leak chemicalsor emit greenhouse gases, exacerbating air and water pollution andadding to the climate crisis (Hussein, 2023).Within the first few weeks of conflict, all five of Gaza’swastewater treatment plants were forced offline due to powerloss. This has resulted in sewage flooding the streets, with atleast 130,000 cubic meters of wastewater being discharged intothe Mediterranean Sea daily. This contamination threatens notonly Gaza’s water sources and marine ecosystems but also risksextending environmental damage beyond Gaza’s borders, withpotential implications for neighboring regions (Weir, 2024).The impact on agriculture andlivelihoodsIn addition to infrastructure damage, the conflict has alsoseverely impacted agriculture in the Gaza Strip. Approximately40 percent of Gaza’s farmland has been destroyed, along with2,000 agricultural buildings. This loss is not merely a blowto food security and local livelihoods; it also has broaderenvironmental implications. Agriculture can act as a carbon sink,helping to absorb carbon dioxide emissions, but the destructionof green spaces diminishes this capacity, increasing the overallconcentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Neimarket al., 2024).The war has further intensified the environmental crisis forGaza’s residents. As people are forced into overcrowded sheltersor temporary camps, pollution levels rise, leading to poor airquality and increased health risks. These conditions not onlycreate immediate suffering but also exacerbate the challenges forGaza’s future sustainability and climate resilience (Buheji and Al-Muhannadi, 2023).Long-term environmental and societalconsequencesThe conflict in Gaza is a prime example of how environmentaldamage can create ripple effects across generations. Not only doesthe war accelerate climate change, but it also poses immediatechallenges for the people who rely on the region’s fragile resources.For Gaza’s residents, who depend on groundwater from an aquifernow increasingly contaminated by seawater, the future is uncertain.As their access to clean water, fertile soil, and a stable environmentdiminishes, so too do their prospects for recovery and development(Paché, 2024).The broader international community should be deeplyconcerned about the far-reaching consequences of Gaza’senvironmental degradation. Just as global efforts focus on reducingemissions and combating climate change, it is vital to considerthe additional burden that conflicts like these impose on theplanet. The damage to Gaza’s environment is not isolated; it isa reflection of a broader failure to address environmental issueswithin conflict zones.ConclusionThe environmental devastation inflicted on Gaza not onlydeepens the human suffering caused by the conflict but alsohas global consequences. These environmental repercussionsunderscore the need for a coordinated international response thatprioritizes both humanitarian aid and environmental stewardship.By addressing the root causes of the conflict, supporting sustainablereconstruction efforts, and promoting environmental protectionseven in war-torn regions, the global community can begin tomitigate the lasting impact of conflicts like this one. Only witha commitment to peace, sustainability, and resilience can wehope to create a future where the environment is protected, andcommunities can rebuild from a foundation of stability and hope.Author contributionsAS: Methodology, Validation, Writing – original draft,Writing – review & editing. RD: Investigation, Methodology,Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.KZ: Investigation,Methodology,Writing – original draft,Writing –review & editing. YA: Methodology, Writing – original draft,Writing – review & editing. SA: Conceptualization, Investigation,Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing –review & editing.FundingThe author(s) declare that no financial support was received forthe research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.Conflict of interestThe authors declare that the research was conducted in theabsence of any commercial or financial relationships that could beconstrued as a potential conflict of interest.Publisher’s noteAll claims expressed in this article are solely those of theauthors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliatedorganizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and thereviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, orclaim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed orendorsed by the publisher.Frontiers inHumanDynamics 02 frontiersin.orgShaheen et al. 10.3389/fhumd.2024.1463902ReferencesArab, T. N. (2024). Ecocide in Gaza: The Environmental Impact of Israel’sWar. Available at: https://www.newarab.com/analysis/ecocide-gaza-environmental-impact-israels-war (accessed June 29, 2024).Buheji, M., and Al-Muhannadi, K. (2023). Mitigating risks ofenvironmental impacts on gaza-review of precautions & solutions post(2023 War). Int. J. Adv. Res. Eng. Technol. 14, 15–47. doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/2JMCPHussein, H. (2023). Stop violation of international water laws in Gaza. Nature623:253. doi: 10.1038/d41586-023-03461-0Mani, M. (2021). Impact of Armed Conflict on the Environment. SupremoAmicus 25:320. Available at: https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/supami25&div=34&id=&page=Neimark, B., Bigger, P., Otu-Larbi, F., and Larbi, R. (2024). A MultitemporalSnapshot of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Israel-Gaza Conflict. Rochester, NY:Elsevier.Paché, G. (2024). War-related environmental crises: A reality too critical to ignore.Crisis Resp. J. 19, 46–49. doi: 10.1097/01.EEM.0001017232.73307.d8UNEP (2024). “Environmental impact of the conflict in gaza: preliminaryassessment of environmental impacts,” in United Nations EnvironmentProgram. Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/environmental-impact-conflict-gaza-preliminary-assessment-environmental-impacts (accessed June 29, 2024).Weir, D. (2024). “The climate costs of war and militaries can no longer be ignored,”in The Guardian, 9.Frontiers inHumanDynamics 03 frontiersin.org

The war on the Gaza Strip and its consequences on global warming

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The war on the Gaza Strip and its consequences on global warming

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