CEOBS (Conflict and environment Observatory) was launched in 2018 with the primary goal of increasing awareness and understanding of the environmental and derived humanitarian consequences of conflicts and military activities. In this, we seek to challenge the idea of the environment as a ‘silent victim of armed conflict’.
We are driven by the principle that access to reliable environmental information is vital in relation to armed conflicts. Indeed openness and transparency are critical when the environment becomes politicised. CEOBS builds on six years of research and policy work by its predecessor the Toxic Remnants of War Project. The Project sought to identify new opportunities for collecting data on environmental harm and the human suffering it causes, and the means through which data could be used to inform greater protection for the environment, and for those who depend on it, before during and after armed conflicts. CEOBS’ work extends beyond the environmental consequences of war to also consider the role of environmental factors in triggering or driving insecurity. We intend for this website, which aggregates information on multiple conflicts and topics, to be a resource for policy-makers, researchers, activists and journalists interested in the environmental dimensions of armed conflicts.