Conflict and Environment Observatory

@ceobs.org

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CEOBS is a UK charity that provides a voice for our environment - and those who depend upon it - when it faces harm from armed conflicts and military activities. Our military and conflict greenhouse gas emissions project is @militaryemissions.org

Figure: base colour satellite map showing area of sea and small patch of land at bottom left, moored vessels are highlighted, as is a smoke plume. Three insets: Black and white drone POV footage from the strikes; Colour image of a large glowing orange fire on a horizon with smoke plume; Close up of base map detail with tanker, smoke plume and possible spill highlighted.
A flow diagram for WISEN level 0, Damaged environmental facilities, it shows how satellite radar data is used to identify potentially damaged pixels mapped onto OSM maps of environmentally risky infrastructure sites. This receives a visual confirmation to generate a theoretical harm score.
The Wisen WATCH logo, Wisen in bold green text, with the CEOBS logo as the dot of the I, below the word WATCH in very dark green.
Environmental Implications Active war zones serve as potential hotspots for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) due to the extensive use of munitions. This understudied issue is of high environmental importance, as it identifies a novel contamination source and its spatial impact. This study demonstrates that while PFAS levels in agricultural soils are primarily driven by long-term agricultural inputs, which effectively mask the military footprint, potato leaves reveal a distinct signature of airborne contamination likely from military emissions. Additionally, although leaves show significant accumulation, the edible tubers remain mostly unaffected, suggesting that vegetation serves as a transient marker for recent conflict-related pollution.
A figure with key indicators for DRR reported by conflict-affected and fragile countries. On the left a plot of percentage of local governments that implement their DRR strategies in line with national strategies versus increasing fragility, with conflict intensity also shown. Mexico, Myanmar, India and Colombia are all clustered in the top right. Bangladesh, Sudan and Afghanistan in the bottom left. The right hand plot shows capacity for multi-hazard early warning versus fragility. The Philippines and Mexico score highly, Somalia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan score poorly for early warning capacity.
A map of Ukraine featuring incidents from our WISEN database. Oblasts are tinted based on the cumulative environmental risk score from incidents, revealing Kyiv and the eastern Oblasts to be more impacted. The incident markers are coloured to show the level of environmental risk from each one, while pink rings around them denote the degree of environmental harm.
A flow diagram for WISEN level 2, detailed documentation and impact assessment. It shows how earth observation imagery and data, social and media reports, geolocations, subsequent impacts and site history and context information are used to generate a qualitative impact questionnaire and environmental harm score.
Green text spells out the word wisen, the dot of the I is the CEOBS logo
Webinar | 21 May 2026 | 14:00 GMT+1 Introducing the WISEN database: towards a global environmental monitoring framework for conflicts Remote environmental analysis of conflict areas gathers data vital for advocacy, assessment, recovery and accountability. Formalising data collection and assessment methodologies is an important step as we work towards ensuring more detailed and comprehensive documentation of environmental harm globally. This webinar will introduce CEOBS’ Wartime IncidentS to ENvironment (WISEN) methodology, explore how we have used it for research on Ukraine, Sudan and Iran, discuss how data can be used for different purposes, and consider future opportunities to improve documentation. Speakers Introducing WISEN | Dr Eoghan Darbyshire, Iryna Babanina and Leon Moreland (CEOBS). Perspectives on assessment, advocacy and accountability Hassan Partow (UNEP); Margot Wallström (High-Level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War); Prof. Kevin John Heller (University of Copenhagen). Challenges and next steps | Doug Weir (CEOBS)
Visualisation. Two insets show Kharg Island in false colour satellite imagery. May 6 inset shows a large oil spill off its SW coast. May 11 inset shows a line of oil emerging from its east coast and trending southwards in parallel with the coast. The background image shows the wider region with a 300km2 area of slicks from May 6 incident highlighted.
Webinar | 21 May 2026 | 14:00 GMT+1 Introducing the WISEN database: towards a global environmental monitoring framework for conflicts Remote environmental analysis of conflict areas gathers data vital for advocacy, assessment, recovery and accountability. Formalising data collection and assessment methodologies is an important step as we work towards ensuring more detailed and comprehensive documentation of environmental harm globally. This webinar will introduce CEOBS’ Wartime IncidentS to ENvironment (WISEN) methodology, explore how we have used it for research on Ukraine, Sudan and Iran, discuss how data can be used for different purposes, and consider future opportunities to improve documentation. Speakers Introducing WISEN | Dr Eoghan Darbyshire, Iryna Babanina and Leon Moreland (CEOBS). Perspectives on assessment, advocacy and accountability Hassan Partow (UNEP); Margot Wallström (High-Level Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of the War); Prof. Kevin John Heller (University of Copenhagen). Challenges and next steps | Doug Weir (CEOBS) Followed by a Q&A. To register: bit.ly/Wisen
Block chart showing the relative numbers of sustainable recovery publications classified by Web of Science categories, the top 5 are environmental sciences, economics, business finance, environmental studies and energy fuels.
The 10 main categories of academic publications related to the invasion of Ukraine ranked and visualised, and with Ukrainian authors highlighted. The top five are: political science, international relations, economics, law and business finance
A composite of four images showing physical damage to academic institutions in in Ukraine, with locations in Odesa, Kyiv, Sumy and Kharkiv
A visualisation comprising a black and white satellite base map showing an 8km2 oil slick in the Black Sea off Tuapse, an inset showing a huge black smoke plume heading out over the sea, and a third inset showing a series of major fires affecting some industrial buildings by night.
Text reads: IUCN WCEL Specialist Group on Environmental Security and Conflict Law CORPORATE DUE DILIGENCE AND LIABILITY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES SUPPLY CHAINS IN/FROM CONFLICT-AFFECTED REGIONS Implementation Guidance for Principles 10 and 11 of the ILC Principles on Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflict
Map of Iran showing its power grid, energy generating sites are identified by dots.
Two satellite images showing an oil spill off the south western coast of Sri Lanka on 5th March, and very close to beaches and protected areas on 7th March, likely caused by the torpedoing of the Iranian navy vessel called Dena.
A map of the Persian Gulf showing the locations and types of the merchant ships attacked, and also the presence of no vessels around the Strait of Hormuz between 1st - 3rd March.
A map of countries in the Middle East. There are coloured markers at locations where there have been incidents causing environmental harm between 28 Feb and 10 Mar 2026. The colour of the marker relates to the magnitude of environmental risk. The most high risk incidents are situated along the Gulf coast and near Tehran.
Figure showing an energetic black smoke plume rising into the free troposphere next to a map showing forecast trajectories of where this smoke is likely to be transported - generally to the north west towards Kazakhstan, Russia and China.
Map showing the location of the oil facilities in Tehran that were struck overnight on 7/8th March. Insets displaying a panoramic view of darkened skies from smoke pollution, a flaming storm drain and a satellite image of the smoke plume from MODIS on the morning of 9th March.
A black and white cartoon with 5 panels around a central hub whose text reads ECSA working group on armed conflicts. The panels denote the group activities: research, funding, technical assistance, convening and developing principles and methods.
Satellite imagery showing damage to technical equipment at the Ras Tanura oil refinery, and two smouldering smoke plumes.
Three images of explosions occurring at military sites in different locations across Iran.
A map of countries in the Middle East. There are coloured markers at locations where there have been incidents causing environmental harm between 28 Feb and 2 Mar 2026. The colour of the marker relates to the magnitude of environmental risk. The most high risk incidents are situated along the Gulf coast and near Tehran.
A map of Ukraine showing the location of its terrestrial and marine Emerald Network sites and the distribution and intensity of conflict incidents, landscape fires and forest disturbance. Many are concentrated in front line areas in the east of the country.
A still from video footage of the spraying, two aircraft spray a white mist over scrub near the border fence, a radio mast is visible in the background.
screen gran from https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/ecsa2026/p/17086
Text reads: 2.23 Review inclusion of requirements in tendering processes for suppliers to provide information on the use of PFAS within their products supplied to the Ministry of Defence. UK Explore the inclusion of tendering process requirements for suppliers in 2026. Ministry of Defence
Composite of six animal species found in the Al Sunut forest: African silverbill (three small brown perching finches); the Great Egret, a tall white heron; the Nile Monitor, the head of a thickset lizard with brown mottled skin; the Village Weaver, an upright grey finch with a yellow head and red eye; the Grivet Monkey, a grey haired mother with a baby hanging from its front; and the Pink-backed pelican, two pelicans on water with grey plumage in different tones and large bills with pouches.
Graphic, left hand side a false colour image of the Al-Sunut area from December 2024 with vegetated areas picked out in a red false colour. An inset shows densely packed acacia trees growing from a bare mud soil. The reserve is on the edge of the White Nile, which floods it. Right hand side, same image dated January 2026, there is far less red in the forest area, while an inset shows acacia tree stumps.
7 men and 5 women stand for a photo, the team includes authors from Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and Iran.
Annotated visualisation. To the left, a satellite view of the Gaza coastline around the mouth of Wadi Gaza, brown sediment laden waters are entering the aquamarine sea. To the right, a section of the Gaza coast further north showing three discharge points for sewage into the sea.
A man pours a bucket of water into a puddle of brown floodwater, behind him a row of white tents and shelters surrounded by the floods.
UN HQ in Nairobi, to the right a footpath with white flagpoles stretches into the distance. To the right a road verge, with the large letters spelling out UNEA.
Figure showing military structures around the Kerch Bridge. Insets overlain on a satellite image of the narrow Strait and the bridge show blasts from Ukrainian attacks, the locations of submarine barriers, including fences, "hedgehogs" and netting. The bridge is intensely militarised, obstructing the Strait.
Complex figure, a map of the Black Sea basin showing areas of cetacean sightings, ecologically important areas, locations of conflict incidents, reports of sea mines, and oil pollution from the Kerch Strait spill.
A satellite image showing several desert compounds, each are gold facilities and within each there treatment ponds are picked out in blue, an inset graph shows that water area has declined during the conflict, these RSF aligned sites are in a SAF held area.
Figure showing detected mines in al Butana region; a satellite image and zoomed inset pick out a NNE-SSW trend of mines along a 23km seam.
Around 50 men sit under a wooden frame, rigged for shade with material, they are listening to a speaker, a banner in Arabic sets out their demands.
A graphic from the briefing cover, with the title: Mitigating environmental harm by implementing the EWIPA declaration, and a stylised graphic showing two people fleeing from a blast in front of a cityscape.
Text reads: Nov 6 is the UN day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. Today there are more wars than at any point since World War II, and our shared environment faces unprecedented pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and desertification. Wars devastate the environment, damaging ecosystems on land and at sea, and undermining the life support systems people depend on. Protecting the environment from war is not optional, it’s a necessity.
A small seedling grows from brown soil, the background is the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag, a water droplet hanging from the left hand leaf of the seedling refracts the colours so they appear upside down within it.
Logos, left to right: IUCN Congress, Montreal Climate Security Summit, GROMADA conference, Berlin Climate and Security Conference, Rebuild Ukraine conference, COP30, UNEA. A green arrow with text says "we are here", it points to the gap between the Montreal conference and GROMADA.
A complex map of Sudan showing the areas most affected by conflict and by climate risks, and trends of human displacement. Six boxes surround the map with highlights of wartime environmental incidents and trends: water and energy infrastructure damage; biodiversity and forest loss; gold mining; Arba'at dam collapse; oil refinery fire; and crop loss in Gezira.
A triptych with three photos from social media. Left: a red bucket of damp pills is poured down a municipal drain; centre: sacks of pills and related products can be seen piled and burning; right: security personnel walk on top of a huge pile of pills and white sacks of precursor chemicals.