Liability for Environmental Damage with Special Reference to Armed Conflicts

Modern history is full of evidences of environmental damages caused by armed conflicts. For centuries, military commanders have deliberately targeted the environment,seeking to obtain any possible advantage over their adversaries. Over the last five decades, the world has witnessed the vast environmental devastation caused by military conflicts in the wake of Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Kosovo and other Conflicts. In Afghanistan, Sudan and Gaza Strip and many other countries armed conflicts still cause significant harm to the environment. The destructive potential of modern warfare has made the need for measures to safeguard the environment more and more evident. However, despite the efforts made in this field and measures taken by the international community,the environment continues to be the victim of armed conflicts. This research has brought to the fore a number of key findings and suggestions. It has provided an understanding as to why the environment continues to lack effective protection during armed conflict and how these challenges can be tackled to ensure that the legal framework and the environment protection during armed conflicts could be effectively strengthened.