How do war losses affect achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

There is no doubt thatSustainable developmentis a comprehensive framework adopted by the countries of the world since the United Nations launched the 2030 Agenda; In order to achieve an integrated balance between economic growth, social justice, and environmental protection, however, wars and armed conflicts remain a widespread obstacle to this path.

In this article, we analyze – via the websiteThe Earth Guards Foundation– the impact of war losses on efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across their three dimensions: social, economic, and environmental, while reading the repercussions extending to future generations; So keep reading.

The disintegration of societies and the erosion of human capital

The social dimension of sustainable development is based on ensuring quality education, health care, equality, and decent living. The impact of such conflicts reaches human capital, leaving impacts that last for decades, as social recovery becomes a long-term path, requiring rebuilding trust and restoring institutions.

In this context, wars deal a direct blow to social foundations by undermining education systems, increasing poverty rates, and dismantling solidarity networks. Which hinders development efforts and deepens the gaps between societies, through:

Displacement and asylum

Armed conflicts lead to large waves of internal and external displacement. For example, the war in Ukraine witnessed large waves of internal and external displacement, becoming the largest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, as statistics recorded more than 7 million refugees from Ukraine across Europe in 2022. This puts direct pressure on Goal 10: Reducing inequalities, whose goals are based on the need to facilitate safe, orderly and responsible migration and movement for all members of societies everywhere.

In addition to the above, the impact of war losses – according to the social dimension – extends to the host countries, where they lose their human capital, and their production networks are disrupted, and this raises poverty rates, increases the fragility of such societies, and prolongs the path of recovery.

Collapse of the health and education system

Hospitals and schools are also destroyed or stopped working during conflicts, and millions of children are deprived of education and health care, and then it is not possible to create a generation with the skills and knowledge that would enable it to build a sustainable future. This deprives societies of achieving the third goal: good health and well-being, and the fourth goal: quality education.

Widening inequality gaps

In the context of war losses, the social gap between social groups also widens. The gap between those who are able to withstand economically and the most vulnerable groups increases, women’s participation in the labor market and decision-making declines, and serious social repercussions appear, including the spread of human trafficking and child labor, which are problems that undermine human rights and hinder the building of stable societies.

Resource depletion and stunted growth

Sustainable economic development is based on diversifying sources of income, enhancing productivity, and building resilient infrastructure. However, war losses affect the global economy through disruption of food and energy markets, and this threatens food security even in countries far from the hotspots of conflict, indirectly bearing part of the cost of crises, and leading to negative consequences that include:

Destruction of infrastructure

Armed conflict causes the destruction of basic infrastructure, with roads, ports, power stations, and water networks exposed to direct or indirect damage. This leads to disruption of supply chains, high transportation costs, and reduced production capacity. All of this is a direct obstacle to achieving the ninth goal, which is concerned with innovation and infrastructure, and the eleventh goal, which aims to build sustainable cities and communities.

High unemployment and poverty rates

The losses of war are also evident on the economic side when unemployment rates increase, which also extends to the global tourism sector, which suffers losses estimated at billions, in addition to severe disruptions in food and energy supply chains that threaten all global security.

Silent destruction threatens future generations

In addition to the above, we find that emissions of polluting gases are among the most prominent environmental effects resulting from armed conflicts that harm both public health and the environment. This was revealed by a study published in October 2025 in the journal “Atmospheric Pollution Research,” based on “TROPOMI” satellite data, confirming the presence of tangible changes in air pollution around theBlack Sea region; Due to war and military activity through intense bombing operations, widespread fires, and the use of explosive weapons during the war in Ukraine.

This environmental degradation is directly linked to the third goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on good health and well-being, as well as the fifteenth goal: Life on land; Air pollution resulting from war threatens human life and all creatures within conflict areas. In detail, armed conflicts lead to:

Depletion of natural resources

In some conflicts, natural resources – such as oil and minerals – are transformed into sources for financing military operations, which encourages unjust and unregulated extraction. This exploitation leads to the depletion of natural resources and environmental degradation, as well as depriving local communities of development revenues that could have been directed to improving infrastructure and public services.

Biodiversity Deterioration

Natural reserves and forests are also damaged, and the environmental balance is disturbed as a result of the massive population displacement and increasing pressure on resources, and then the natural habitats of organisms deteriorate and biodiversity is lost. Therefore, reports issued by the United Nations Environment Program warn that the environmental impacts of conflicts may last for decades, which makes efforts to achieve goals related to climate action and preserving ecosystems more complex.

Wars and development are an inverse relationship

From an analytical perspective, the relationship between war casualties and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is inverse. As armed conflicts escalate, the chances of achieving the institutional stability necessary for development decline. Also, the absence of equitable development may itself be a factor in increasing armed conflicts.

In the end, you findThe Earth Guards Foundationthat the continuation of wars prevents the continuation of efforts to achieve the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their social, economic and environmental dimensions; Because it accumulates losses instead of benefits, and consumes the future rather than building it!