AccScience Publishing / AJWEP / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/AJWEP025480366
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Armed conflicts and their environmental impacts: Toward a global legal framework for promoting environmental sustainability

Mohammad Alsalmi1 ,  Omar Alatawi1 ,  Doaa Badran2 ,  Mahmoud Abdelhady3* ,  Naser Alsherman4 ,  Ehab Alrousan5
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1 Law Department, Faculty of Sharia and Law, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
2 Public Law Department, College of Law, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
3 Private Law Department, College of Law, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
4 Law Department, College of Law, American University in the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
5 Law Department, College of Law, Umm Al Quwain University, Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates
AJWEP, 025480366 https://doi.org/10.36922/AJWEP025480366
Received: 30 November 2025 | Revised: 7 February 2026 | Accepted: 9 February 2026 | Published online: 13 April 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

In an era marked by intensifying armed conflicts, the protection of ecosystems and natural resources has become an urgent global imperative. This study aims to explore the environmental damage caused by armed conflicts and their prolonged effects on ecosystems and natural resources, highlighting the need for innovative and sustainable legal and policy solutions. The study adopts an analytical approach based on a comprehensive review of scientific literature and international documents on the impacts of armed conflicts on ecosystems. It integrates quantitative and qualitative data from reliable sources, such as the United Nations Environment Programme, to identify legal gaps and propose innovative solutions that enhance sustainability and international cooperation. The study reveals that despite the presence of international agreements, significant gaps remain in legal enforcement and cooperation between states and United Nations agencies, thereby limiting the effectiveness of environmental protection during armed conflicts. It also identifies mechanisms for the sustainable rehabilitation of affected areas. This study proposes an innovative global legal framework and practical mechanisms to integrate international law with environmental sciences, ensuring long-term sustainability of natural resources during and after armed conflicts.

Keywords
Armed conflicts
Environmental damage
International environmental law
Sustainability
Environmental rehabilitation
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflicting interests.
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Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, Electronic ISSN: 1875-8568 Print ISSN: 0972-9860, Published by AccScience Publishing
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