Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

6.05 - Impact of Armed Conflict in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments

Description

Keywords: Ecological Risk Assessment, Environmental Monitoring, Risk Assessment

Armed conflict causes severe and long-lasting damage to terrestrial and aquatic environments, disrupting ecological processes, degrading natural resources, and threatening human well-being. Impacts include direct habitat destruction, soil degradation, and the release of persistent contaminants—such as fuels, metals, explosives residues, and synthetic chemicals—into soils, sediments, and water bodies. Land mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and discarded munitions hinder ecosystem recovery and safe resource use on land and in aquatic systems for decades. Residues from energetic compounds and chemical warfare agents persist in the environment and pose long term ecological risks. In terrestrial ecosystems, warfare alters land cover, fragments habitats, and modifies hydrological regimes. Aquatic systems face habitat loss across rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal zones. Corroding munitions and re-suspended sediments create chronic pollution that threatens fisheries, drinking water, and biodiversity. This session will examine case studies from recent and historical conflicts globally, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Emphasis will be placed on empirical and predictive research documenting contaminant levels in soil, sediment, water, and biota; land cover and land use change through remote sensing; and consequences for species assemblages and ecosystem function. Presentations will also address challenges of environmental data collection during conflict—including safety constraints, incomplete records, and disrupted monitoring—as well as legal frameworks for environmental protection. Post-conflict recovery strategies and remediation efforts, including UXO clearance and the management of underwater munitions, will be explored. We welcome contributions on: • Occurrence, distribution, and transformation of war-related contaminants. • Ecotoxicological impacts and ecosystem-level responses. • Advances in detection, monitoring, and predictive modelling. • Corrosion, climate change, and pollutant release processes. • Evaluation of remediation approaches and ecological impacts. • Damage and risk assessment, remediation, and policy strategies. By integrating science, policy, and practice, this session aims to strengthen environmental security, identify data gaps, address restoration goals, and foster collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to safeguard ecosystems and communities affected by armed conflict.

Chairs

Hans Sanderson Aarhus University Denmark
Jennifer Strehse Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel (CAU) Germany
Richard Wenning Wenning Environmental United States
Maarten De Rijcke Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) Belgium