Protection of the Natural Environment in Armed Conflict Under International Humanitarian Law: Implementation Guidance

The present implementation guidance document sets out measures to assist national entities implementing IHL rules protecting the natural environment, with a focus on certain key obligations. It includes checklists of the types of measure that states can take at the national level to ensure compliance with these rules and provides examples of state practice that illustrate possible approaches to implementation. This document supports incorporation of the IHL rules set out in the ICRC’s 2020 Guidelines on the Protection of the Natural Environment in Armed Conflict into states’ military doctrine and legal and policy frameworks. It also supports the implementation of relevant UN International Law Commission’s Principles on Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflicts.