War also destroys the environment – ​​and we are ignoring it. OPINION July 3,2025

Source BBC News

War also destroys the environment, ​​and we are ignoring it. OPINION

The numbers speak loudly. And what they say is not pretty. Instead of surfing solutions, we are drowning in chilling statistics. A NASA report, fresh from June, shows that droughts and floods have doubled in the last five years. The recipe?

Global warming + unbridled deforestation. The planet is screaming. And what about us? Often silent, other times stuck in a blah-blah-blah that does not turn into action.

The data does not lie. We are drowning, not in solutions, but in alarming statistics. According to a NASA report published in June of this year, the frequency of extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, has doubled in the last five years, driven by global warming and accelerated deforestation.

Yes, there is suffering on all sides. And it is painful to know that, while we talk about climate justice, millions of people continue to be deprived of the basics: safety, dignity, and water. It is impossible to fight for sustainability without talking about peace. It is impossible to talk about the environment without acknowledging the horrors caused by armed conflict.

In the first two months of the conflict, carbon emissions associated with the use of weapons and military equipment are estimated to have reached 281,000 tons of CO₂, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of around 60,000 cars. When indirect emissions, such as damage to civilian infrastructure and the debris generated, are added, the figure rises to more than 450,000 tons.

What happens when bombs fall on agricultural fields, rivers, aquifers, and dense urban areas? What happens when drinking water becomes scarce not only because of a lack of infrastructure, but because it has been poisoned by explosives and heavy metals? War not only leaves human wounds, but it also compromises the future of the Earth itself.

The cruelest thing is that we know what needs to be done. We know, we have the tools, we have the data. But we still hesitate. We still normalize tragedies. We still postpone urgent decisions in the name of short-term economic and political interests.

This point in the year is like a crossroads. And the question remains:

-Are we going to keep counting deaths and tons of CO₂?

-Or are we going to turn this story around before it ends?

The sustainability we advocate cannot be selective. It needs to be radically human, global, and committed to life in all its forms. May the rest of 2025 be about action. About compassion. About the courage to do what needs to be done.

With gratitude, 🌍

Anna Luisa Beserra

Founder, Sustainable Development & Water For All

LinkedIn: Anna Luisa Beserra

SDGs: SDG 6, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 16, SDG 17