Gaza: A Humanitarian Environmental Crisis

The Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences/EcoIslam (IFEES/EcoIslam), the UK-based charitable organisation dedicated to the maintenance of the Earth as a healthy habitat for all living beings, shares our grief and sadness for the great harm being wrought daily on people, climate and nature in Gaza.

Much of the critical global risks that humanity faces are linked to the triple planetary crises defined by the United Nations (UN) as climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. For the inhabitants of Gaza and the West Bank, the unrelenting assault by Israel over the last 100 plus days, has now increased the volume of these risks manifold. The pollution of air, soil and water from one of the deadliest and most destructive bombing campaigns in modern warfare is now leading to a linked climate, environmental and health crisis. Lack of access to clean water, breathable air and functioning sanitation, are catalysts for the spread of illness, disease and death. The destruction of habitats is robbing Palestinian farmers and fisherfolk of their source of living. The climate impact of this war, which will include the costs of post-conflict reconstruction, must still be counted.

The scale of the climate impact of this war has produced more planet-warming gases than the annual emissions of 20 climate-vulnerable nations according to a recent study. The study estimated that Israel’s aerial bombardment and military response accounts for over 99% of the 281,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted in the first 60 days of the conflict. This is equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tonnes of coal. Hamas rockets fired into Israel during the same period, generated an estimated 713 tonnes, or the equivalent of burning 300 tonnes of coal. Given the magnitude of destruction of this war, all indications are that the climate costs of any post-conflict reconstruction will be immense.

Experts in mapping damage from warfare have assessed that Israel’s bombing campaign of heavily built-up residential areas in Gaza had, by early December 2023, already exceeded the damage from the allied bombings of Cologne and Dresden during the second world war. The Guardian reports that according to the UN, more than 65,000 residential housing units have been destroyed, with another 290,000 damaged by bombing and fighting. To put this into context, from a conservative estimate this equates to having the homes of more than 600,000 people destroyed in a UK city the size of Glasgow or Bristol, in the space of 90 days.

Whilst the world witnesses the devastation of 1000-pound bombs being dropped in densely populated residential areas, this might make one believe that harm is only visited upon the men, women and children living inside it, environmental pollution is less visible. The human costs are immense and growing. In the first 95 days, over 23,000 deaths, mainly women and children, and more than 50,000 seriously injured have been reported. An estimated 7,000 are missing and presumed dead, their bodies as yet unrecovered from under the rubble. Israel has forcibly displaced over 1.2 million people; and is effectively starving 2.2 million civilians by denying access to adequate food, water and medicine. All of this is happening in plain sight, whilst powerful nations ignore and even block the application of international humanitarian law.

The climate and environmental legacy of this war on the Occupied Palestine Territories is clearly another casualty of war, and one which will have multi-generational impacts for a nation living in one of the most climate vulnerable regions of the world. The truth is each one of us living on this planet will suffer a share of that harm. Humanity can choose to live in balance and harmony with the planet, or we can make choices that wreak great damage, and harm on people, the land, air and seas, and all the creatures with whom we share our world. The IFEES/EcoIslam adds our voice to those calling for an immediate ceasefire to the war in the Occupied Palestine Territories, and for urgent action to work for a peaceful, just and sustainable world. IFEES/EcoIslam hereby calls on citizens and governments to include calls for:

• Immediate provision of access to safe and adequate supply of water, sanitation, food and fuel needed to ensure social, economic and environmental health and wellbeing;

• Actions to halt widespread water and air pollution that is fuelling disease and illness and the prevention of further climate and environmental harm;

• Cessation of efforts to ethnically cleanse and relocate Palestinian people, occupying and seizing their land and other assets, effectively cutting off their connections to the land and seas they depend upon;

• Equitable application of international law, without fear or favour, to bring about peace and sustainability in the swiftest means. To reduce the human misery and the climate and environmental impact which this, and all conflicts, produce; and

• Reconstruction and restoration efforts, that address the climate and environmental impact of this war on the land, water and seas which form the bedrock of the economy and ecology in Palestine.

The calamity of innocent lives lost is obvious to all of humanity. What is less obvious is the environmental destruction and long-term climate harm created by this war. War has always had a visible human, material and financial cost. We now have the knowledge and understanding to shine a light on the hidden costs: the climate and environmental impacts of war that imperil the future of people and of the planet.

As IFEES/EcoIslam we seek to make more citizens aware that the immediate human misery is compounded by the insidious and long-term effects of the climate and environmental destruction being wreaked by wars, literally thrown up into the air by bombs and acquiescence by those who are in a position to influence outcomes. We call for peace, justice and sustainability for Palestine now!

This piece was originally published on IFEES on February 8th 2024.

Keeping the Faith

Faith-inspired sustainability specialist Kamran Shezad and Chris Seekings consider the role religion can play in tackling climate change and environmental breakdown

Pope Francis wrote of climate change in his second encyclical: “To develop an ecology capable of remedying the damage we have done, no branch of the sciences and no form of wisdom can be left out, and that includes religion.” 

Prominent Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu figures have also attempted to instil a spiritual imperative into the environmental discussion. With 84% of the global population religious-affiliated, harnessing these groups may be one of our greatest tools in tackling the crisis. Kamran Shezad, sustainability advisor at nonprofit Muslim organisation the Bahu Trust, explains how people of faith are taking environmental inspiration from religious texts .

Divine power

“Faiths connect with people’s emotions and personal lives, so are an excellent method of mobilising people,” Shezad says. “In addition to values and teachings, faith institutions hold a huge amount of assets globally and have the power to drive enormous change.” 

It is estimated that religious organisations control 50% of the world’s schools, 10% of financial institutions and 8% of the planet’s habitable land surface (source: Faith for Earth initiative). There are 37m churches, 3.6m mosques, and many thousands of synagogues and temples worldwide. “They own a huge amount of buildings, and so have to make decisions about how they use energy, water and distribute food,” Shezad explains. “They own half of all schools and educate a mass audience, and can lead by example on responsible land use.” 

Moreover, faith institutions have an estimated $3trn invested around the world, with their purchasing power becoming increasingly apparent. The Church of England holds many millions of pounds in oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell, but is now one of numerous religious institutions supporting divestment from fossil fuel companies. 

The moral high ground

Dr Fazlun Khalid is one of the most influential Islamic scholars on the environment, and founding director of the Islamic Foundation for Ecological and Environmental Sciences (IFEES). He drafted the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change, which calls on all Muslims, “wherever they may be, to tackle the root causes of climate change, environmental degradation, and the loss of biodiversity”.

“As Dr Khalid puts it, ‘Islam is intrinsically environmental’, but that does not mean all Muslims are,” Shezad says. “For example, Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest producer of oil and one of the greatest contributors to carbon emissions and climate change.”

Only the US generates more oil, according to the country’s Energy Information Administration, and it is also home, ironically, to the world’s largest Christian population. “Environmental faith-based groups are overwhelmed by the dominant economic model in the US, while Saudi Arabia is dependent on a single resource,” Shezad says. “However, I think faith groups are beginning to reclaim the moral high ground.”

Currently, more than 43 faith-based organisations have accredited status with the UN’s Environment Assembly. These groups vary considerably in size, with some promoting initiatives in their local areas and others facilitating partnerships at national or international level.

The UK-based Faith for the Climate Network was launched in 2014 to encourage collaboration between faith communities and help boost their work on climate change. “Faiths acting together is a powerful witness to the wider world about our shared responsibility to care for creation,” says Lizzie Nelson, Faith for the Climate coordinator. “We know that the best way to engage people is not through fear, or telling people what they ‘ought’ to do, but by engaging with their core values and identity. This is how faith communities have such a key part to play in the wider climate movement.”

A common home

These partnerships mark a remarkable reversal of the tensions witnessed between competing religions throughout history, with the environment firmly at the heart of this paradigm shift. 

As part of The Time Is Now’s campaign on climate change, a mass lobby of the UK parliament was recently attended by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Rowan Williams, chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory board (MINAB) Qari Asim MBE, Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg of the New North London Synagogue, Vishvapani Blomfield of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and Prubhjyot Singh from EcoSikh.

“So many narratives in the media around faith are negative, focusing on abuse, conflict or religious extremism,” says Nelson. “But faith inspires people to act and work together for the common good.” 

On a global level, the Faith for Earth initiative was launched by UN Environment in November 2017, with three main goals: to inspire faith groups to advocate for the environment, to make faith organisations’ investments and assets green, and to connect faith leaders with decision-makers and the public.

“Coming together for climate action is a practical example of what people of faith are already doing day-to-day for the planet, and a vision of how we want the world to be,” adds Nelson.

“The best way to engage people is not through fear, but by engaging with their core values”

Love thy neighbour

Footsteps – Faiths for a Low Carbon Future is a local grassroots organisation in Birmingham, bringing together various faiths to ensure the city is carbon neutral by 2030. It is also involved in the Brum Breathes campaign for cleaner air. “The impact is already showing great signs of its effectiveness,” says Footsteps chair Ruth Tetlow. “The ‘Golden Rule’ is a shared ethic across all faiths.”

Meanwhile, 18 of the Bahu Trust’s 22 mosques have installed solar panels and converted to renewable energy. Educational sermons have been developed, plastic-free events organised and community clean-ups of local streets carried out. This year, it published a joint statement with the IFEES and the MINAB urging all Muslims to divest from fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy. “The Bahu Trust will now work with IFEES and MINAB to develop an educational programme for Muslim communities on how to ensure they are not invested in the fossil fuel industry,” says Shezad.

More examples include EcoSikh, which will this year plant 550 fruit trees along canals in England’s West Midlands to commemorate the 550th birthday of the Sikh religion’s founder Guru Nanak. And Christian Climate Action – inspired by Extinction Rebellion and religious teachings – has been carrying out acts of non-violent direct action demanding change. “Faiths have a long tradition of expecting their followers to take self-denying actions to care for the earth and those suffering,” Tetlow adds.

A call to action

Dr Iyad Abumoghli of UN Environment and founder of the Faith For Earth initiative is working to develop a formal coalition to strengthen engagement between religious leaders and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The coalition would be composed of a ‘Council of the Elders’, bringing together high-level faith leaders such as the Pope and Grand Imam of al-Azhar, while a 'Council of the Youth' would mobilise young faith leaders from every continent to act as global ambassadors. 

“Collaboration is Goal 17 of the SDGs,” says Jeffrey Newman, Rabbi Emeritus of the Finchley Reform Synagogue. “There is more that we share together than divides us, and we are now faced with the greatest potential calamity for life on Earth.”
CEOs of faith groups will also form part of the coalition, while a faith-science consortium of theologians, scientists and environmentalists will connect faith teachings to caring for natural resources.

“People argue that religion is incompatible with science and that they conflict with each other – I don’t buy that argument,” Shezad says. “Many of the greatest scientists of our time have been inspired by their faith and science. I would say that religious texts are complementary to science, and provide solutions to safeguarding the planet.”

Faith groups are also preparing for further international collaboration at next year’s COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow. “Faith for the Climate is beginning to gear up and make early preparations so that the network can efficiently lead its member organisations and ensure the faith presence is effective,” Shezad adds.

“Many of the greatest scientists of our time have been inspired by their faith”

One for all

Although the escalating climate crisis has helped bring groups together more than ever, collaboration between faiths is not that new. In 1986, Prince Philip – then president of WWF International – invited leaders of the world’s five major religions to discuss how faiths can help protect the natural world. Organisations like the IFEES and Alliance of Religions and Conservation have been active ever since.

The problem is that this has not translated into meaningful enough action among the upper echelons of society, particularly in the West. 

“In a lot of Western countries, politicians do not make the connection between environmental protection and religious texts,” says Gopal Patel, director of the Bhumi Project, a Hindu environmental group. “Political leaders from the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain backgrounds probably do make that connection more, but how much they care about protection of the environment compared to economic growth, now that’s another question. All sectors of society need to work to address the crisis.”

Although she does not practice a particular religion, conservationist Jane Goodall has spoken of a “great spiritual power” that she feels when out in nature, and this year called on all faith-based organisations to join the climate movement.

“The practical work on sustainability and protecting the environment is universal and does not require a faith belief,” Shezad explains. “In a conversation with Dr Khalid, a secular person questioned whether a ‘God’ would subject this planet to climate change. Dr Fazlun responded by saying: ‘Welcome aboard, let’s save the planet first and we can then argue about God.’” 

This piece was originally published on Transform on December 13 2019.