AN ANAYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF WEAPONS ON ENVIRONMENT IN TIMES OF ARMED CONFLICT

ABSTRACT

This research work gives an analysis of the effects of weapons on the environment in times of armed conflict. Armed conflicts cause extensive destruction and degradation of the environment. It has been stated in this work that natural resources can either unite or divide post-conflict countries depending on how they are managed and restored. The effect of weapons on the environment often has left a long lasting impact and this work posits that one of the causes of this problem is the issue of compliance and lack of enforcement by States. Also, it has also been pointed out in this work that International Law is inadequate, and weak to handle the impacts that war has on the environment. The two main legal frameworks that protect the environment, which are the Additional Protocol I and the ENMOD Convention were analysed. The work gave the shortfalls of the Additional Protocol I. The research of this work in the recommends that the ENMOD Convention should be used as a precedence to upgrade the AP I. Finally, the research emphasises the need for States to ratify and implement existing norms of International Humanitarian Law and International Environmental Law and also widen the scope of criminal laws to successfully curb these problems of the use of weapons on the environment in times of armed conflict.