Joint Policy to Reduce Environmental Harm from Urban Warfare

27.11.2025 Protection of Water During and After Armed Conflict

A new joint policy briefing sets out practical measures to reduce environmental harm from the use of explosive weapons in cities. It supports the implementation of the 2022 Political Declaration on EWIPA and calls for concrete action to protect people and ecosystems.

Civilians continue to pay the highest price in conflicts, either directly or through contaminated nature.

Bombing and shelling in towns and cities not only kill and injure people every day, but their environmental impacts can linger for generations.

Preventing this harm is urgent.

Last week, governments gathered in Costa Rica to review progress on the 2022 Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (#EWIPA). Ahead of these discussions, a new joint policy briefing has been released, offering clear, actionable recommendations to reduce environmental risks to civilians and safeguard ecosystems during and after armed conflict.

Co-written by:

• PAX

• Norwegian People's Aid / Norsk Folkehjelp

• Geneva Water Hub, a Centre of Competence on Water for Peace

• Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS)

Joint Policy to Reduce Environmental Harm from Urban Warfare

Read the joint policy briefing here: https://paxforpeace.nl/publications/mitigating-environmental-harm-by-implementing-the-ewipa-declaration/