Event
21.05.2026: deBuren, Brussels, BE
What happens when a war is over, but the damage to nature persists for years to come? In ‘A War Against Nature’, artist Marjolijn Dijkman, environmental justice and crime expert Babs Verhoeve, architect Omar Ferwati and artist Shayma Nader explore how armed conflicts destroy ecosystems and why such damage is rarely punished.
This debate examines ecocide caused by war: the large-scale and often long-lasting destruction of ecosystems through armed conflict. The history of Verdun shows just how deep these scars run. More than a century after the First World War, the so-called ‘zone rouge’ remains inaccessible: millions of unexploded shells and contaminated soil make farming and habitation impossible.
But ecocide is not a historical phenomenon. Even today, we see similar patterns worldwide: destroyed farmland and water infrastructure, deforestation, chemical pollution and massive emissions from military activities. The war in Ukraine alone is estimated to have caused an additional 120 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in its first year. And in Gaza, international organisations speak of unprecedented ecological damage, with potentially irreversible consequences.
Yet environmental damage caused by war is rarely punished. Although international law recognises this as a war crime, the conditions are so strict that in practice convictions are rare. That is why there is a growing call to recognise ecocide as a separate international crime – not just on paper, but in a way that is legally enforceable.
What does it mean to regard nature as a victim of war? How can we tackle ecological destruction legally and politically? And who will be held accountable?
This event will be moderated by journalist Selma Franssen and will be held in English.
This programme is part of the series The Foragers, organised by VUB Crosstalks.
The Foragers: Engagements Beyond the Human invites you to rediscover your relationship with our environment — not just in remote wilderness, but in the overlooked spaces of everyday urban life. This interdisciplinary art-science project brings together artists, researchers and enthusiasts who reclaim the ancient practice of foraging as a bold, imaginative and future-facing method.
deBuren
Date: 21.05.2026
Time: 19:30 – 21:00
Location: deBuren, Leopoldstraat 6, Brussel
