Expected scenarios of environmental threats in Iraq compared with Kuwait's case

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to review the literature about the environment as one of the victims of war throughout the history of mankind. Kuwait's environment, as a victim of the scorched-earth tactic carried out by the retreating Iraqi forces in 1991, is also reviewed. The probable scenarios of an environmental threat in Iraq as a result of exploding the oil wells or discharging crude oil into the two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates, are elaborated, taking into consideration the repetition of the current terrorist attacks on Iraq's oil installations.Design methodology approach - The difficulties likely to face the firefighting efforts in such scenarios, compared with Kuwait's experience, are mentioned, with reference to the main differences between Kuwait's and Iraq's oil fields, topography, logistic services and security situation.Findings - Owing to the large oil-reserves in Iraq, the prospective environmental damages and economic losses are expected to be enormous. As the terrorist attacks on Iraq's oil installations may escalate, the potential scenarios of oil discharge into the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, or the use of scorched-earth tactics in Iraq, might become the worst man-made ecological disasters in history.Practical implications - It is believed that such scenarios should be taken seriously by the concerned environmental planners and the need to secure Iraq's oil fields is paramount.Originality value - This paper highlights the problems associated with maintaining an adequate level of security and the potential repetition of terrorist attacks which will undoubtedly prevent or postpone any sustainable development in Iraq, especially in the oil industry and the two rivers-based-projects for at least the next decade. The effects of unsustainable development can become entangled with traditional forms of conflict in a way that can widen and deepen the latter in Iraq.