Outline
• Introduction
• Weapons of the Vietnam War
• Environmental degradation
• Impact on human lives
• Contribution to climate change
• Bigger picture
• solutions to safeguard the environment during war
• Conclusion
• Reference
INTRODUCTION
Vietnam is a country in Southeast Asia that shares borders with China, Laos, and Cambodia. It has a long coastline along the South China Sea and is home to over 100 million people. The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi.
The Vietnam War (1954-1975) was a conflict between the communist North Vietnam, backed by the Soviet Union and China, and the anti-communist South Vietnam, supported by the United States.
This article focuses on the environmental consequences of the Vietnam War and explores protective strategies for the environment during conflicts.
• Weapons of the Vietnam War
Here are some notable ones:
1. AK-47 Rifle
2. B-52 Bombers
3. Napalm
4. Agent Orange
5. Rome Plow
Others include M-16 Rifle, M60 Machine Gun, M1 Grand Rifles
• Environmental degradation
- The Vietnam War had a significant impact on the environment and long-term impacts on land, soil, water, and air.
- The use of chemical agents such as Agent Orange led to massive deforestation and contamination. This not only affected the landscape but also the quality of the soil, water, and air.
- Deforestation was extensive during the Vietnam War
- The use of herbicides and bombings led to the destruction of vast forest area
- Water sources were heavily contaminated due to the use of chemical agent.
• Impact on human lives
The Vietnam War resulted in the death of an estimated:
— 2 million Vietnamese civilians,
— 1.1 million North Vietnamese troops
— 200,000 South Vietnamese troops
— More than 58,000 Americans(More than 150, 000 wounded)
The war also caused significant displacement of people.
Agent Orange had devastating effects, causing serious health issues including cancer, birth defects, rashes, and neurological problems among the Vietnamese people and U.S. servicemen and their families.
The Vietnam War was a costly conflict.
The United States spent about $168 billion on the war, which is equivalent to about $1 trillion in today’s dollars.
The United States continues to pay $22 billion taxpayers’ money per year in war compensations to Vietnam veterans and their families.
• Contribution to climate change
War contributes to climate change in several ways.
Before wars begin, the building of military forces, as noted by the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOB), uses up a lot of natural resources that are hard to replace.
Fossil Fuel Consumption: The military consume enormous amounts of fossil fuels, which contributes directly to global warming. If the US military were a country, for example, it would have the 47th highest emissions total worldwide.
Environmental Destruction: Bombings and other methods of modern warfare directly harm wildlife and biodiversity.
The collateral damage of conflict can kill up to 90% of large animals in an area.
Pollution: Pollution from war contaminates bodies of water, soil, and air, making areas unsafe for people to inhabit.
Vietnam War’s Contribution to Global Warming
Deforestation: The use of chemical herbicides like Agent Orange destroyed large areas of forest, creating grasslands.
This not only led to a loss of biodiversity but also contributed to climate change as forests play a crucial role in sequestering carbon dioxide.
Vietnam has shown substantial biodiversity loss due to changes of ecosystem resilience to emerging local and global stressors (Truong & Dinh, 2022).
Pollution: The war led to significant pollution due to bombings and the use of chemicals. This pollution had long-term effects on the environment and contributed to global warming.
• The Bigger picture
Carbon Emissions from Wars:
The US’ broader “War on Terror” has released 1.2 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
N.B. The “War on Terror” refers to a global campaign initiated by the U.S. and its allies after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, aiming to eliminate al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations that posed a threat to the U.S. and its allies.
Some scientists estimate that, together, militaries and their supporting industries might account for up to 5% of global emissions: more than civilian aviation and shipping combined.
• Solutions
Safeguarding the environment is a very crucial action to take during war.
Safeguarding solutions adopted by the International Law Commission of the United Nations and the Geneva Water Hub of the University of Geneva include;
1. Limiting the use of certain weapons.
2. Establishing zones of peace.
3. Limiting damage to natural resources.
4. Limiting certain means of warfare.
• RECOMMENDATIONS
Legal Frameworks: Enhance the legal framework to protect the environment during and after armed conflicts.
Multilateral Agreements: Actively participate in multilateral environmental agreements.
Cooperation with UN: Cooperate closely with the United Nations on environmental issues.
• Conclusion
The Vietnam War, with its significant human, environmental, and economic costs, highlights the devastating impacts of war.
Globally, wars contribute to climate change, accounting for an estimated 6% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
To mitigate these impacts, it’s crucial to adopt sustainable practices, conduct post-conflict assessments, and enhance international cooperation for environmental protection.
The lessons from the Vietnam War underscore the importance of peace and diplomacy in resolving ddisputes.
• References
Weapons of the Vietnam War – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapons_of_the_Vietnam_War
Weapons and Equipment | Vietnam War | Pritzker Military Museum …. https://www.pritzkermilitary.org/explore/vietnam-war/vietnam-equipment
The National Interest-Glorious Guns: Famous Weapons of the Vietnam Conflict.
The Times-Nature: 50 years after the US army sprayed Agent Orange over Vietnam, the wildlife is fighting back. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nature-50-years-after-the-us-army-sprayed-agent-orange-over-vietnam-the-wildlife-is-fighting-back-p6trx7hqn
How U.S. chemical warfare in Vietnam unleashed an enduring disaster (phys.org)
PBS News, 2021- 50 years later, a daunting cleanup of the Vietnam War’s toxic legacy continues. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/fifty-years-later-a-daunting-cleanup-of-the-vietnam-wars-toxic-legacy-continues
Vietnam War Facts, Definition, Costs and Timeline – The Balance. https://www.thebalancemoney.com/vietnam-war-facts-definition-costs-and-timeline-4154921.
Vietnam War casualties – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War_casualties.
How War Impacts Climate Change and the Environment – Global Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/how-war-impacts-the-environment-and-climate-change/.
Cruel fact: How many Vietnamese people died in the Vietnam war?. https://vietnamembassy-pyongyang.org/how-many-vietnamese-died-in-the-vietnam-war/.
Agent Orange: Haft-Century Effects On The Vietnamese Wildlife Have Been Ignored.Kiem N. Truong and Khuong V. DinhEnvironmental Science & Technology 2021 55 (22), 15007-15009 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06613
Conflict and Environment Observatory: How does war damage the environment? https://ceobs.org/how-does-war-damage-the-environment/
GSAG members
1. Ademola FAWEHINMI
2. Fehintioluwa ATANDA
3. Oluwaferanmi ABIODUN-OJO
4. Taiwo Opeyemi AGBONA
5. Aminat ALAWAYE
6. Dorcas OLADELE
7. Olusayo OYEWESO
8. Olufemi IBUKUN
9. Peace ADELEKE
GSAG - Vietnam War
#PloggingNigeriaClub
#GreenSwitchAcademyXXV
#COMMANDOES
0 Comments