Interactions military - environment

1
Environment and security The role of the
military Piet Wit, Syzygy, The Netherlands
Environment and security THE ROLE OF THE
MILITARY
Piet Wit Syzygy The Netherlands
2
Interactions Military-Environment

• Historical examples
• Cover against the enemy Marshes in Uganda, High
  Forests in Guinea Bissao
• Provoked environmental changes
• Tactics of scorched earth Roman empire
• Drainage Frederik Hendrik and the city of Den
  Bosch, Chatt el Arab
• Inundation Walcheren (World War II), Korean war
• Defoliation Vietnam war

3
Historical examples (2)

• Pollution
• Biological The plague and Chengis Khan,
• Chemical first Gulf War
• Depletion gorillas in DRC
• Financing the conflict tropical hardwood in
  Liberia
• Peace-keeping operations depletion of resources
  by refugee camps

4
Geneva Conventions

• Protocol I of 1977
• It is prohibited to employ methods or means of
  warfare which are intended, or may be expected,
  to cause widespread, long term and severe damage
  to the natural environment
• Klaus Töpfler (UNEP) Call for a Green Geneva
  Convention

5
What the military could do in case of conflict
(Extracts from Nature in War)

• Preparedness
• Environmental Policies for military operations in
  particular peace-keeping operations
• Awareness raising among military personnel
• training and education,
• Code of Conduct.

6
What the military could do during conflict

• Control of illegal trade in products from the
  conflict area
• Providing a secure environment for civil society
  organisations active in Nature and Environment
  (e.g. around Refugee camps, or in protected
  areas)
• Strengthening local and national institutions
  (funding, policy formulation and expertise)
• Training and application of code of conduct

7
What the military could do after the conflict

• Providing a secure environment for civil society
  organisations active in Nature and Environment
  (e.g. around Refugee camps, or in protected
  areas)
• Prevent environmental degradation as a source for
  future conflicts
• Training and application of code of conduct
• Evaluation of impacts of military intervention on
  nature and environment

8
Peace keeping operations

• The case of
• CIMIC

9
.....A new multinational CIMIC capability in
NATO.....
CIMIC Group North
Nassau Dietz Kazerne Budel (NL)
10
CIMIC definition
Civil-military co-operation The
co-ordination and co-operation, in support of the
mission, between the NATO Commander and civil
actors, including national population and local
authorities, as well as international, national
and non-governmental organizations and agencies.
MC 411 as of 9 July 01
11
CIMIC IS NATOS CIVIL-MILITARY INTERFACE
12
CIMIC Core Tasks

• Civil-military Liaison
• Support to the civil environment
• Support to the Force

13
Objectives CIMIC international

• Providing a safe environment for reconstruction
  of the civil society
• Training and Education
• Centre of Expertise

14
CIMIC-National

• Steering committee
• Deployment of CIMIC units is a political decision
• CIMIC-national activities
• Direct support of the mission of CIMIC
  international
• Activities may surpass the area of detachment
• Support to other organisations (e.g. NGOs)

15
Example Iraque

• Priority areas of CIMIC involvement with
  Environmental implications
• Water
• Agriculture
• Animal Husbandry
• Horticulture
• (Cooperatives and credit systems)

16
Functional Specialists (FS)

• Wherever specific expertise is needed for a
  certain period of time

• Deployed as a team or individually

• May be either military or civilian

• Civil administration
• Civil infrastructure
• Humanitarian Affairs
• Economy commerce
• Cultural affairs

Functional Areas
17
Functional Specialists (FS)
Civil Administration Section
Civil Infrastructure Section
Communications Team Air Transport Team Land
Transport Team Inland Waterways Transport
Team Sea Transport Team Works Team Utilities Team
Internal Affairs External Affairs Economic
Affairs Financial Affairs Justice Agriculture
Nature Education Culture Social
Affairs Traffic Public Health Housing Rural
Planning Defence
Economy Commerce Section
Economic Development Team Industry Team Food
Agriculture Team Commerce Team
Humanitarian Affairs Section
Cultural Affairs Section
Displaced Persons Refugees Team Essential
Supplies Team Health Team Human Rights Team
Monuments Team Archives Team Religions
Team Museums Team
18
Concept of operations
CJ9
CGN
North
19
CGN CIMIC Centre of Expertise

• Level of Ambition
• Act as an international CIMIC Centre of
  Expertise by addressing civil-military relations
  in general, and civil-military co-operation in
  particular, with a view to
• support operations
• contribute to CIMIC doctrine development and
  educational programs
• play a key advisory role
• act as a source of CIMIC related information
• to enhance CIMIC knowledge and awareness at all
  levels, civil and military
• by striving a professional and academic level.

20
CGN CIMIC Centre of Expertise

• Customers to include
• NATO Command and Force Structure and deployed HQs
  (e.g.SFOR)
• Other NATO and national CA/G9/CIMIC staffs and
  units
• National MODs, HQs, formations of the
  Participants
• National Military Academies, Staff and Defence
  Colleges, etc.
• Leading IO/NGOs
• Relevant universities, academic, scientific and
  research institutions

21
CIMIC and Environment

• (too) late
• Environmental impacts may become irreversible
  with time
• Sustainability
• (too) implicit
• Environmental management conditional for
  sustainable CIMIC results nature and culture,
  sustainable use of natural resources

22
RECOMMENDATIONS

• Nature and environment explicitly to be
  considered from the beginning of peace-keeping
  operations and CIMIC involvement
• Centre of expertise on conflicts and environment
  What to do and what not
• The Netherlands to take the lead in CIMIC
  international, based on its expertise in
  integration of environmental concerns across
  sectors and disciplines