Five Decades Post-War: Vietnam's Environmental Legacy and Its Haunting Echoes for Gaza and Ukraine

The Vietnam War’s conclusion on April 30, 1975, unveiled a landscape profoundly marred by ecological devastation. Coastal mangroves once teeming with life were obliterated, while diverse forests shrank, overtaken by invasive plant species. The term “ecocide” emerged in the late 1960s to encapsulate the extensive environmental destruction wrought by herbicides like Agent Orange and incendiary devices. Today, Vietnam continues grappling with these lasting environmental scars, highlighting the urgent need for more robust restoration efforts and international accountability in wartime ecological practices.