International Day for the Prevention of Exploitation of the Environment during War and Armed Conflict

November 6 is the International Day for the Prevention of Exploitation of the Environment during War and Armed Conflict, which was established in 2001 The initiator was the UN General Assembly The need to establish such a date arose a long time ago And even more The General Assembly has repeatedly been criticized that such a day was established too late and, accordingly, public attention was not so actively attracted to this problem In fact, every historian and even an amateur interested in the historical past of mankind knows that there is not a single conflict that would not have an extremely negative impact on the environment And even if you go back centuries, when heavy artillery, bombs and shells had not yet been invented, the damage to the environment due to conflicts of various scales was obvious Thus, even in the Middle Ages, such wars turned into famine, since numerous cavalry and carts turned agricultural land and peasant fields into a real theater of military operations It often took decades to restore the environment This again entailed further casualties, famine, and mass migration of the population in search of a better life Since the invention of gunpowder, firearms and the beginning of mass use of artillery shells, the situation has worsened even further In addition, the 20th century gave humanity such deadly weapons as atomic bombs And in the First World War, poisonous gases were actively used against enemy soldiers Is it necessary to explain that, along with people, both flora and fauna were subjected to enormous destructive influence Some animal species have disappeared completely Therefore, a reasonable question arises as to why the public began to pay attention to such consequences so late Since 2001, this day has been celebrated regularly It does not imply any celebration Rather, it is an SOS signal that is broadcast to the masses Traditionally, on this day it is customary to hold forums and round tables, where ecologists, sociologists, historians, public and political figures, representatives of military structures, and scientists gather It is scientists who are most often accused of the fact that at their instigation such destructive tools, devices, devices and chemical compounds were created and are being created, capable of destroying all life around for centuries But we must pay tribute to the fact that among scientists there are also many activists who are making a lot of efforts to ban this or that weapon and take it under maximum control Environmental and charitable organizations often hold events on this day This is expressed in scientific and educational work, popularization of knowledge about the environment On this day, events are often held to improve the environmental situation and restore the environment due to the negative impact of humans Thus, trees and green spaces are planted in areas of environmental disasters or military conflicts Measures capable of resolving issues regarding international security and methods of waging wars at the legislative level are also being discussed It is not for nothing that such a concept as “ecocide” appeared, that is, the destruction of flora and fauna on a large scale Ecocide is no less serious a crime than genocide, that is, similar illegal acts directed against people This day is popularized by activists and public figures in almost all countries of the world, especially in Europe and the North American continent