Law Commons^™

Protecting Environmental Hot Spots During And After Armed Conflict Through Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Britta Sjöstedt

Britta Sjöstedt

In this paper I argue that areas of international environmental importance could be protected during and after armed conflict by utilizing the mechanisms established under Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), in particular the World Heritage Convention (WHC) and potentially also of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention). Most armed conflicts taking place today cause substantial environmental damage as a direct or indirect effect of the warfare. Also, indirect consequences of armed conflicts such as unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, massive flux of displaced persons, collapse of governmental control and infrastructure put additional pressure on sensitive ecosystems. The framework …