War and the Environment in the Middle East: Degradation, Governance, and the Way Forward
Publisher: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Regional Competence Center for Energy and Climate Justice MENA
Author(s): David R. Jalilvand and Tobias Zumbrägel
Date: 2026
Topics: Conflict Causes, Governance, Livelihoods, Weapons, Waste, and Pollution
Countries: Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen
In the Middle East, armed conflict is increasingly undermining not only human security and infrastructure but also the environmental systems on which livelihoods and long-term stability depend. This reflects a broader global trend in which rising organised violence and ecological degradation interact in mutually reinforcing ways. In conflict settings, the environment is not merely a passive backdrop but a system shaped by human action and integral to well being. Warfare damages critical infrastructure, depletes natural resources, erodes biodiversity, and instrumentalises nature for political objectives, while governance constraints often relegate environmental protection to a secondary concern. Crucially, the consequences reach beyond ecological damage, exacerbating social vulnerability and complicating recovery.