Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and Its Impact on Environment and Climate Change Policy
Last Updated: January 01, 2023
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The terrifying attack on Ukraine by Russia has drawn widespread attention of all the countries around the world. Along with the severe humanitarian impact, several environmental hazards are inevitable part of this invasion. There is also an increasing global focus that this invasion could led to the shift of attention of the countries from climate actions towards mobilizing the resources and their prime focus to the invasion.
Tattered families, deceased children, refugees, injured civilians, hundreds of captured military and desolate barren cities is the agonizing horrid reality of the war-struck Ukraine as a result of hostile invasion carried out by Russia. The devastating consequences of Russo-Ukrainian war is not only affects these two nations, but also affects other countries all over the world.
War Casualties
There has been huge number of fatalities of the Ukrainian citizens, military as well as the Russian military after the initiation of the war in 24 February, 2023. While the casualties is at the increasing number every passing day, the war possess a major humanitarian crisis, leading to thousands of refugees fleeing their home, destruction of various industrial and residential sites, planes, helicopters, armoured vehicles and launching different explosives and even bombing a nuclear plant.
Major Risks
The Russian invasion on Ukraine has unfolded several political, economic, environmental political, and cyber disturbance across the world. While countries are imposing economic sanctions on Russia, Russia is one of the top fossil fuel suppliers of the world. The world’s economy is extravagantly dependent upon fossil fuel as the crucial source of energy whereas Russia is heavily dependent on the revenue generated from those exports.
Thus, the current conflict led the world to consider switching towards renewable energy, domestic energy produce and energy security- a move towards decarbonization.
Economic Downfall
The Russo-Ukrainian war is putting strain in the global economy that halts the growth and possibly escalating to the high inflation ultimately leading to social unrest. The political risk and instability as a consequence of war leads to the low investment rates whereas the expenditure for the deployment of the resources and manpower for the war and assistance of refugees is straining the economy of the countries.
The repercussion of the war impacts the global financial market, imbalanced supply and demand chain and fluctuates stock market as well. There is huge reliance of the world for oils, food products, raw materials, fuels and other commodities and the spike in their rates inflicts the economic setback worldwide.
Food Insecurity
The Russia’s attack on Ukraine has major effect on world’s food security. Both of the country exports foods like maize, wheat, sunflower oil, fertilizer to different nations worldwide. The war disrupts the supply chain as the prices are soaring up rapidly while the production is limited. This invasion could possibly result in the food shortages, unavailability and insecurity within the nations and worldwide.
The volatile supply and production, inflation on the staple food, oils and fertilizers prices leading food insecurity is a very evident and major concern while the world is already facing instability caused by the surge of COVID-19 pandemic. The Russia’s invasion on Ukraine could exacerbate the global hunger, mal-nourishment and facilitating to the food crisis.
Diversion from climate issues
The consequences of the current war between Russia and Ukraine falls also on climate change policy because there will be major shift in the attention and resources of the world from the climate actions to the war strategy, politics and economy. The multiple problems faced by the countries due to this invasion could let the climate actions go unaddressed and take many years for climate policy to come forward as a political agenda.
While the looming dangers of climate change to the world is inevitable, the climate actions and adaptation policy are the ways to combat the climate change. The greater expenditure towards war and military forces deviates the attention of the politicians away from the climate actions, planning and policies leading to the failed attempt to adapt the climate actions.
Environmental Impacts
The Russia- Ukraine war is causing immense strain on the regional and the global environment .The release of toxic contaminants in the air, water, soil causing hazardous pollution will have long lasting effect on the environment as well as climate. There is increment in the rate of forest fire from the war explosions which in turn affects the production of forest products, causes air pollution, habitat loss and loss in the timber sale.
In addition, the various weapons used during the conflict also increase the carbon footprint of the nations and causing more green house gases emission in the atmosphere. There is also both short and long term risks due to the nuclear contamination caused by the war, This puts the country at the major stake in relation to the environmental hazards.
Other impacts
However, not all the impacts of the war are negative. This invasion could force the countries to start considering about the renewable sources of energy. Russia is one of the biggest oil and gas suppliers to the Europe. Thus as a result of the war, some of the nations are hurrying into considering ways of shifting into renewable energy supplies.
If many nations deliberately consider this, it will considerably reduce the usage of the fuel worldwide which will in turn have a great positive impact on the environment and climate by reducing the level of green house gas emissions and put the pressure on the depleting non-renewable energy sources to the lowest.
Green Investments
While the European nations are heavily reliant on Russia for the coal, gas and oils, the European Union has put forward the strategy of green investment in order to reduce its dependency on the Russian fossil fuels. As the fuel prices are highly inflated and concern over the energy security is rising, the green investment could possibly increase the domestic capacity of the countries to build clean technologies, fulfil their energy demand and lower their reliance on Russia.
Conclusion: Russo-Ukrainian War and Its Impact on Environment
This Russo-Ukrainian War could affect the possible climate policy of future due to its major deviation from climate actions, adaptation policy towards the war. The issues of global warming, climate change, reduction in carbon foot print, use of alternative source of energy could be over-shadowed as the repercussions of the war.
Damage to the cities, infrastructures, industrial areas, power plants not only affects the country but also possess the health risk. The potential thousands of refugee crisis as an aftermath of this invasion is putting the surrounding countries at the risk as well. The locked borders puts halt to any form of trade and export leading to the economic downfall of the nations.
Likewise the horrendous effects of Chernobyl blast in 1980s, the Russia’s invasion on Ukraine can lead to the major irreversible damages not only to the human kind, but also to the environment, global politics as well as global economy. The humanitarian impact of the attack is already devastating enough while the environmental impacts, economic instability will be faced by humans for many decades in the future.
