Criminology, war and environmental despoliation

The environment is a largely unspoken victim of war. Our soil, rivers, seas, forests and atmosphere have all been damaged by armed conflict. In some cases, this damage persists for decades. The international legal framework for the protection of the environment during war is piecemeal, limited to very specific conditions and incapable of preserving the environment in a large number of circumstances. Despite the inadequacies of the law and the fact that the harm caused to the environment is a global issue that affects the health, prosperity and future of millions of people, criminological literature is predominantly silent on this issue. In response, this chapter draws on green criminology and victimology discourses to examine the exploitation and destruction of the environment during armed conflict.