Effects of War and Civil Strife on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitats

Abstract: Historically, the no‐man's land created by human warfare often protected wildlife and habitats by limiting human incursions and human population densities within disputed territories. Relatively few examples of this phenomenon have been identified in conjunction with recent and ongoing wars in developing countries, however. Modern wars and civil strife are typically associated with detrimental effects on wildlife and wildlife habitats. Most cited instances of contemporary war‐zone refuges refer to military security areas that are functionally and geographically distinct from actual battlefields or areas subject to armed civil conflicts. The disappearance of the war‐zone refuge effect is attributable to modern trends in the scale, intensity, or technologies associated with military conflicts and violent civil strife. Munitions and chemical agents exert both immediate and residual effects, direct and indirect, on wildlife and habitats. Overharvesting of wildlife and vegetation in conflict zones exacerbates existing constraints on the access to natural resources, threatening both the resource base and the livelihoods of local communities dependent on these resources. Socioeconomic studies have identified causative linkages between environmental degradation and violent civil strife, with the scarcity of natural resources fostering the emergence of war and civil conflicts in developing countries. Wars and civil strife create positive feedback that reinforces and amplifies interactions between and among ecosystem vulnerability, resource availability, and violent conflict. Strong and flexible partnerships between local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and international institutions may be a critical factor in mitigating the effects of war on wildlife by helping to maintain continuity in conservation efforts during periods of political instability.