Addressing the environmental consequences of wars and conflicts

Too often in cases of conflict, the focus narrows to short-term strategy, and thus the long-term consequences of conflict are ignored, in many cases to the detriment of the surrounding populations. For this reason, Green Cross International is dedicated to the Environmental Consequences of Wars and Conflicts area of activity, established in 1993 with the mission of safely eliminating weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and mitigating the social, health, and environmental impacts of conflicts and nuclear, chemical, and biological contamination. This goal is accomplished through three complementary programmes: the Legacy Programme; the SOCMED Programme and Post-War Environmental Analysis.

The Legacy Programme has been and continues to be one of GCI's most successful initiatives through the two-pronged approach of action and diplomacy. The purpose of the programme is to promote responsible destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles, cleaning of nuclear and chemical contamination, and the conversion of military bases for civilian use, while giving affected people outlets for questions and frustrations. Initially focusing on the reduction and destruction of chemical weapons within the United States and Russia, the Legacy Programme has grown and now is moving into the realm of elimination of biological and nuclear weapons. This exciting expansion of the Legacy Programme demonstrates the effectiveness of GCI's approach to the elimination of WMDs. Particularly, Green Cross International has made great strides in the safe destruction of Russian chemical weapons stockpiles, along with investigations into the extent of environmental damage that has occurred due to weapons storage.

To complement the Legacy Programme, Green Cross also works on remedying the socio-economic and health consequences of man-made disasters, such as Chernobyl and the effect of Agent Orange in Vietnam, through the implementation of the SOCMED Programme (SocMed). SocMed focuses on three demographics: children, young adults and families to help bring a sense of normalcy to the lives of the hundreds of thousands that were affected. Primarily, SocMed establishes education programmes that foster a sense of future for the people affected by the nuclear contamination that occurred after Chernobyl. Additionally, therapy camps as well as mother's clubs help affected people deal with serious psychological, economic and social problems due to nuclear contamination and relocation. Each of these camps is highly effective in educating and treating the local populations who, still 20 years after the disaster, are living with the catastrophic effects. The programme focuses predominantly on the effected areas of Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine.

In conjunction with the Legacy and SocMed programmes, the Post-War Environmental Analysis Programme is designed to push for greater understanding and awareness of the environmental damage caused by wars and conflicts. This programme simultaneously promotes the inclusion of environmental rehabilitation of areas and regions that have been affected by conflicts under the auspices of humanitarian assistance, and provides independent expertise on post-conflict environmental damage.

The success enjoyed by the Legacy, SocMed and Environmental Analysis programmes illustrates the effectiveness of the education and action approach taken by Green Cross International. By raising awareness about environmental damage caused by conflicts, GCI hopes to increase the concern for the lasting issues associated with weapons of mass destruction and conflict.