The Environmental Cost of War in Gaza
Image credit: Emad El Byed
Our environment is often an overlooked casualty of war. However, the severe waste contamination in Gaza—resulting from infrastructure collapse and military violence over the past 15 months—has shone a harsh light on the undeniable impact of conflict on our fragile ecosystem.
UN reports have stated approximately 97% of Gaza’s water is undrinkable due to the destruction of infrastructure, primarily the breakdown of sewage and waste management facilities. This has resulted in the accumulation of 39 million tonnes of debris and contamination of irrigation systems, leading to the death of livestock such as goats and cattle, as well as financially depleting the fishing and agriculture sector. Consequently, food security for the human population has decreased and the environment has faced extreme loss of natural habitats and contamination of air, soil and water. Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, a vibrant rich ecosystem teeming with coral reefs and hundreds of species of fish, has been made a hostile environment through underwater explosions and oil spills.
Satellite images further reveal that around 80% of Gaza’s trees have been lost, while two-thirds of its farmlands have been damaged or destroyed by military bombardment—an ecological catastrophe that accelerates desertification and reduces carbon absorption. Such evidence underscores that, as with all environmental crises, the repercussions of this war extend far beyond Gaza. Every ecosystem plays a crucial role in maintaining our atmosphere and mitigating global warming, and it is important to consider the immense wealth this Mediterranean territory provides.
This large-scale environmental degradation not only affects land and water resources but also threatens the region’s rich biodiversity. Palestine is characterised by its highly diverse topography, home to around 50,000 living species, constituting 3% of global biodiversity. In Gaza, direct bombings and pollution have inflicted severe damage on coastal areas, which provides vital feeding grounds to native migratory birds such as the turtle dove; a once abundant symbol of peace that is now tragically facing endangerment.
Other animals, such as the Palestine sunbird and Arabian gazelle, have been pushed closer to extinction, while experts estimate a 40% decline in biodiversity since the 2000s, affecting countless more species. However, there is still the possibility of recovering these numbers, especially in light of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas enacted on January 19th 2025, which provides a window for environmental justice in this war torn area. The relief from bombardement will reduce further loss of habitat areas and fatality of wildlife through injury, although even with this respite, we can expect the consequences of contamination and pollution to have much longer lasting effects.
As with most climate crises, it can be tempting to label the situation as hopeless. However, doing so would underestimate the humanitarian support that continues to exist in Gaza, even after more than 50 years of occupation. In 2022, for the first time in over a decade, Palestenians were able to swim in the ocean during the summer thanks to a community-led beach clean up and years of lobbying for improved sewage systems. More recently, even amid ongoing conflict, Gaza witnessed the installation of a desalination plant by the UAE in December 2023, providing 4.5 million liters of clean water. In March 2024, additional water pumping facilities were introduced, supplying clean water to over 200,000 residents in northern Gaza.
These efforts align with broader environmental commitments, such as Palestine’s participation in the Paris Agreement, which signals a long-term ambition to mitigate ecological harm. We can hope to see aims in reducing the environmental impact with projects such as replanting or soil decontamination. However, such processes are long and costly, often relying on charity aid and local involvement, which is further impeded by the fact many are facing tragic loss, medical issues or are suffering due to the lack of food and shelter.
Human and environmental crises are deeply connected—one cannot be addressed without the other. Only through awareness and collective action can one expect to see the restoration of both Gaza’s environment and the lives that depend on it.
Words by Lucile Dudrey-Harvey
