Over the last two years we worked with local partners, used satellite imagery and open-source investigation to identify the specific problems that affects public health and the environment people depend on. Here's a small thread with what we found in NE #Syria 1/x
The main focus was on the Hasakah and to a smaller extend the Raqqa governorate, due to presence of our partners and own access. More analysis on environmental issues in the SDF controlled Deir ez Zor is in the making 2/x
Communities keep flagging public health concerns over unsafe landfills, solid waste dumping and burning. We identified over 20 large solid waste dumps, the combined size of 420 football fields. Chemicals from leachate contaminates groundwater and burning worsens air pollution 3/x
Oil revenues keeps the region of NE #Syria afloat, but comes with a heavy toxic prize. There are 3 main problems: Oil waste, leaks and makeshift refining that are polluting air, ground water and exposes people and eco-systems to a range of pollutants. 4/x
Oil exploitation is producing waste that is either dumped into local creeks or stored in large waste ponds all over the region. We found 530 leaks at extraction points, and oil waste dumps at the major refineries and oil storage facilities that have been ongoing for years 5/x
Next up is makeshift oil refining, a widespread practice in the early years of the conflict. Thousands of small burners spread over 690 clusters were identified. Civilians, including many children, worked in toxic conditions. Roughly 200 refineries are still operational 6/x
The oil production creates large volumes of bitumen, asphalt left-overs. This is stored in dozens of large and smaller unsafe open-air waste pits, posing environmental risks by contaminating ground water and can be found all over the region with satellite imagery. 7/x
The conflict had a serious impact on water and irrigation infrastructure which continues to pose a huge problem for access to clean water for millions today. Shut-down of water stations, bombed pipelines and dumping of waste degraded water quality and impacts public health 8/x
Being #Syria's breadbasket, climate-induced droughts are increasing, affecting harvest yields in Hasakah and Raqqa. Agricultural areas are more vulnerable to wildfires, that are deliberately or accidentally started. These issues will continue to pose #foodsecurity challenges 9/x
Yet there are glimmers of hope, as communities and activists raise their voices, demand change and take up initiatives to improve the situation. This needs support!
The devastation brought upon #Gaza's urban and rural environment by Israel after the brutal Hamas attacks is making large parts uninhabitable, a new @PAXforpeace
report shows. The massive damage is also posing long-term public health risks. A thread: 1/x paxforpeace.nl/news/israels-b…
The wide-scale destruction of urban areas is creating millions of tons of conflict-rubble, often mixed with toxic waste, and damaged hazardous facilities posing extra public and env health risks. We used @unosat
/@JamonVDH/@coreymaps data for damage, and #OSINT for facilities 2/x
Hundreds of types of water facilities have been damaged/ destroyed, worsening public health risks. Throughout #Gaza water wells, desalination plants, pumping systems are affected, while it was already struggling water shortage prior to the escalation 3/x
The level of urban destruction by the use of #explosiveweapons in populated areas such as #Gaza is significant. Beyond the civilians casualties, this also leaves millions of tons of rubble, posing additional environmental health risks. New @Maxar img from Oct 21, Al Karameh 1/x
Here the damage at Beit Hanoun in northern #Gaza showing a complete neighborhood being almost completely demolished from bombardments 2/x
And here at Atatra in northern #Gaza with complete buildings collapsed from airstrikes. Building materials often contain hazardous materials and debris often mixed with industrial or other types of hazardous waste and UXOs 3/x
And toxic ghost from the past appears as DoD approvs #depleteduranium export to Ukraine: despite US overstating the case, the use of DU would only complicate conflict-pollution in #Ukraine and counters the global norm against its use 1/x wsj.com/articles/u-s-s…
What past wars showed was that DU was not decisive. In the Gulf Wars, most tanks were destroyed with Hellfires and Maverick missiles. Tungsten rounds still are able to destroy Russian tanks, and DU was no silver bullet. 2/x wise-uranium.org/pdf/dumyths.pdf
What our @PAXforpeace research in #Iraq found was that the US was uninterested in clean-up and remediation of DU and contaminated materials, putting civilians at risk of exposure, in particular children playing on tanks and scrapmetal workers. 3/x paxforpeace.nl/wp-content/upl…
Open question with regard to the #Kakhovka flood impacts is to what kinds of pollutants were present on industrial locations that were swept away and create additional pollution risks. One example is the Kherson Oil Depot, southwest of the city 1/x
Another area of concerns is the industrial area south, hosting various construction facilities that are storing different types of hazardous substances. Satellite imagery by @planet indicates there are pollutants in the water 2/x
South of the city is the shipyard, which usually stores a range of hazardous substances including different types of oil, LPG, solvents and and cleaning agents. Some ships also were swept away or capsized by the flooding 3/x
The emergence of Morocco as a #drone power. With a range of airstrikes against suspected Polisario militants in occupied Western-Sahara, it is suspected that quite a few are carried out by armed #drones. A small thread with some new satellite imagery showing these drones🧵 1/X
Morocco has been operating Israeli Harfang #drones from the Dakhla airbase in occupied Western Sahara, that are visible on Google Earth imagery in 2021 as shown by @obretix It is unclear if these drones have been armed 2/x
The involvement of armed #drones in airstrikes became more clear after social and traditional media reports on increased military activity against the Polisario armed group in Western Sahara by the Moroccan army 3/x thedefensepost.com/2021/04/12/mor…
📢Russia's targeting of energy infrastructure in #Ukraine is displacing millions of people, while also worsening conflict-pollution. Today we launch a new Environment & Conflict Alert, with support of @UNEP and @Cen4infoRes. A small 🧵1/x
Over the course of the last 10 months, we noted 213 reported incidents of strikes against thermal, hydro, nuclear and solar energy facilities in #Ukraine. We could verify 63 of those incidents with satellite images that observed damage to these facilities. 2/X
Throughout the country strikes against, and occupation of power plants severely impacted the lives and livelihoods of Ukrainian civilians, while also posing serious risks to their #environment from a range of pollutants or services depending on energy supplies. 3/x