No Climate Justice on Occupied Land
The Environmental Devastation of Military Occupation
The world is finally awakening to the realization that the Earth’s ecosystems can no longer withstand the weight of military occupation. This harsh truth, captured in the environmental movement’s latest slogan, “No Climate Justice on Occupied Land,” has become painfully evident in the wake of the horrors witnessed in Gaza since October 7.
The Inseparable Link: Military Occupation and Climate Sustainability
For those living in relative peace and security, the correlation between military occupation and climate sustainability may seem novel. However, for those enduring the constant threat of military violence, it has always been crystal clear that any missile strike or aerial bombardment campaign is not only an attack on themselves but also on the vitality of their land.
A recent hearing on environmental violence in West Papua, held under the jurisdiction of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (PPT) in Rome, revealed that Indonesia’s military occupation, extending over seven decades, has perpetrated a “slow genocide” of the Papuan people. This genocide is characterized not only by political repression and violence but also by the gradual destruction of the vast and biodiverse forest that sustains them.
West Papua is home to one of the world’s largest copper and gold mines, a major BP liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, and the fastest-expanding area of palm oil and biofuel plantation in Indonesia. All these industries leave behind ecological dead zones, and each is secured by military occupation.
At the PPT hearing, prominent Papuan lawyer Yan Christian Warinussy eloquently articulated the connection between human suffering and resource exploitation. Tragically, just one week later, Warinussy was shot and injured by an unknown assailant. The PPT Secretariat noted that the attack occurred shortly after the lawyer depicted “the violence committed against the defenceless civil population and the environment in the region.” This incident serves as a stark reminder of the indivisible link between military occupation and environmental violence.
Globally, militaries account for approximately 5.5 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions, surpassing the combined emissions of the aviation and shipping industries. Our colleagues at Queen Mary University of London have calculated that the first 120 days of the latest Gaza conflict alone generated more emissions than 26 individual countries. Moreover, the rebuilding of Gaza will release emissions comparable to Sweden and Portugal combined.
Yet, these alarming statistics fail to fully capture the profound interrelation between military violence and environmental harm. The impact of war and occupation on the climate is not merely a by-product or unintended consequence.
Ecocide: When Genocide Targets Nature
We must avoid reducing our analysis of conflicts, such as the one in Gaza, to a simplistic division between human casualties and environmental degradation. In reality, the two are inextricably intertwined. The genocide in Gaza is simultaneously an ecocide, a phenomenon that has become increasingly common in military campaigns.
During the Vietnam War, the US military deployed toxic chemicals, including Agent Orange, in a deliberate strategy to eliminate agricultural production and force the population into “strategic hamlets.” Forests, providing cover for the Vietcong, were also cleared to reduce the population’s ability to resist. This strategy, termed “ecocide” by renowned anti-war activist and international lawyer Richard Falk, has been employed by militaries worldwide.
In essence, military operations aim to diminish or eliminate the “enemy” population’s capacity for sustainable living and self-sufficiency. In the case of Gaza, the Israeli occupation forces have engaged in chemical warfare, spraying herbicides from the air to destroy arable land.
Since 2014, the bulldozing of Palestinian homes and infrastructure by the Israeli military has been complemented by chemical warfare, with herbicides aerially sprayed to destroy arable land in Gaza. In essence, Gaza has been subjected to an “ecocide” strategy akin to that used in Vietnam.
The Israeli military has been systematically working to reduce and eventually eliminate the Palestinian population’s capacity to live sustainably in Gaza. Since October 7, it has escalated its efforts to render Gaza uninhabitable.
Researchers at Forensic Architecture have estimated that over 50 percent of Gaza’s farmland and orchards have been wiped out. Ancient olive groves have also been destroyed. Crops have been uprooted using tanks and other heavy machinery. Aerial bombardment has decimated greenhouse production facilities. These actions were not mistakes but deliberate attempts to render the land incapable of sustaining life.
The destruction of water supply and sanitation facilities, coupled with the ongoing threat of starvation, are not unintended consequences but calculated tactics of war. The Israeli military has weaponized food and water access to intensify its assault on the population of Gaza.
Crucially, these tactics are not unique to Gaza. They have been employed by Israel to maintain its occupation of the West Bank and expand its illegal settlement enterprise for decades. Since October 7, these efforts have intensified as Israel seeks to eradicate any remaining capacity for sustainable Palestinian life in the occupied territories.
Just as in West Papua, environmental destruction is not a mere by-product but a central objective of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The immediate harm inflicted on the affected population is indivisible from the long-term damage to the planet. Therefore, it would be a fallacy to attempt to separate genocide from ecocide.
In conclusion, anyone seeking to end human suffering and prevent climate catastrophe must resolutely oppose all wars of occupation and the militarism that fuels them.
