As the wars in Ukraine and Lebanon continue to reshape regional politics and humanitarian realities, the environmental costs have reached a critical threshold by May 2025. In Ukraine, the war has triggered over 2,500 verified environmental incidents, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023 caused catastrophic flooding across more than 700 square kilometers, displacing over 80,000 people and devastating agriculture, ecosystems, and regional water systems. More recently, targeted shelling near Zaporizhzhia nuclear facilities has reignited fears of a radiological disaster. Chemical contamination, deforestation from military operations, and damaged industrial infrastructure have pushed Ukraine’s ecological damage costs past $65 billion, making this one of the most environmentally destructive conflicts in recent history.
Lebanon, on the other hand, remains crippled by a different kind of environmental crisis rooted in systemic collapse. Since the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the country has seen skyrocketing air and water pollution, with more than 90% of untreated sewage now flowing directly into the Mediterranean. Forest fires—some likely linked to climate change and state neglect—burned over 1,000 hectares in 2024 alone. Illegal garbage dumping and the burning of medical waste have worsened respiratory health, especially among children and the elderly. As of early 2025, Lebanon’s environmental governance remains paralyzed by political gridlock and economic freefall. Both Ukraine and Lebanon are stark reminders that the environmental costs of war are not side effects but central humanitarian emergencies, requiring international intervention, sustainable recovery frameworks, and accountability mechanisms that treat ecosystems as vital civilian infrastructure. More