Severe environmental damage in GazaCEFR B2
6 Nov 2025
Adapted from Guest Contributor, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Emad El Byed, Unsplash
After a ceasefire was signed, humanitarian organisations are scaling up to reach families facing famine following nearly two years of bombardment and blockade. Masum Mahbub of Human Concern USA describes widespread, systematic environmental destruction that he calls ecocide, with flattened neighbourhoods, poisoned soil and contaminated water and air that make the land hard to inhabit.
Mahbub notes that pre‑existing climate resilience measures — such as rooftop solar panels and water management plans — have been erased. He documents the annihilation of nearly 70 percent of Gaza’s agricultural land, the razing of olive groves, the obliteration of water pipelines and the destruction of all five wastewater treatment plants. Specific actions have direct effects: pumping seawater into underground tunnels risks saline poisoning of Gaza’s only significant aquifer, which is the primary source of drinking water for over two million people. Bombs that struck rooftop solar arrays cut off independent electricity for homes and hospitals.
The immediate carbon footprint is large: the first 60 days of fighting produced an estimated 281,000 metric tons of CO₂, and Mahbub says over 99 percent of these emissions are attributable to Israel’s aerial and ground operations. Reconstruction will add much more carbon—rebuilding an estimated 100,000 destroyed buildings could release an additional 30 million metric tons of CO₂, comparable to the annual emissions of New Zealand. He links the environmental damage to food insecurity: farms and fishing capacity were devastated, and water sources are contaminated with 130,000 cubic meters of raw sewage daily.
- 37 million tons of toxic rubble
- Unexploded ordnance
- Air contaminated with pulverised concrete, asbestos and heavy metals
- Tens of thousands of bodies decomposing under rubble
Mahbub says making Gaza livable again requires a global effort focused on deep ecological restoration, accountability for what he describes as ecocide and genocide, and reconstruction that includes environmental decontamination to restore water, soil and public health.
Difficult words
- famine — severe shortage of food causing widespread hunger
- bombardment — intense attack by weapons, especially bombing
- blockade — action that stops goods and people entering or leaving
- ecocide — large-scale destruction of the natural environment
- aquifer — underground layer of rock holding usable water
- carbon footprint — total greenhouse gas emissions caused by an activity
- decontamination — process of removing harmful chemicals or pollution
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What challenges to water and food security are described in the article, and which should be priorities in reconstruction?
- How could rebuilding thousands of destroyed buildings affect global carbon emissions, and what trade-offs should policymakers consider?
- Who should be responsible for environmental decontamination and accountability, and what international actions might be needed?
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