Adaptation to Climate Change During Armed Conflict: An Economic and International Legal Analysis

The issue of environmental protection from global warming is a major area of research in the domain of international law. The phenomenon of climate change has exerted a deleterious effect on populations across the globe. Military conflicts have been demonstrated to exacerbate the problem of climate change, as hostilities increase the amount of emissions of hazardous substances. Consequently, climate change has been demonstrated to have far-reaching economic consequences, thus necessitating concerted international action. A separate question that must be addressed is that of whether states are bound by the obligations that arise from international climate law during periods of war. The purpose of this article is to analyse the economic consequences of climate change and to determine whether countries are obliged to comply with international climate law during armed conflicts. Methodology. In the course of composing the article, the primary focus was on the utilisation of general theoretical methodologies. A comprehensive evaluation of the economic ramifications of climate change and the adequacy of international legal regulation thereof was facilitated by analytical processes, theoretical generalisation and systematic interpretation. Results. The article under scrutiny examined the content of two seminal legal opinions on the obligations of states in respect of climate change. The first opinion was the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, delivered in July 2025, and the second was the Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, delivered in May 2025. These opinions confirmed the obligations of states to protect the human right to a healthy environment, including the right to a safe climate. Practical implications. Drawing upon a comprehensive array of doctrinal provisions and contemporary international legal norms, the authors have meticulously delineated the prevailing issues that plague the realm of international regal regulation of environmental protection in the face of climate change. Value/Originality. It has been determined that states are obligated to comply with international climate law during military conflict. It was also determined that the obligation to refrain from causing irreversible damage to the climate and the environment falls under the jurisdiction of customary law. This implies that states are bound by this obligation and cannot deviate from it.