The battles with Hamas and Hizbullah have left scorched earth behind them and caused fires in several nature reserves in the south, and on the border with Lebanon. The movement of heavy military vehicles, plowing new roads and staging areas, has destroyed some of the landscape. Waste left behind by soldiers has created pollution and stray dogs slipping in from the Gaza Strip have created a dangerous health hazard. The environmental damage, while not disastrous, is in some cases irreparable. The Nature and Parks Authority has been working with the military and other bodies to coordinate their actions on the ground. But Israel’s changing strategic needs will likely bring in more infrastructure and damage to nature preserves and open spaces.Reporter Arieh O’Sullivan spoke to Dr. Yehoshua Shkedy, chief scientist for the Nature and Parks Authority, about the impact of the war on Israel’s nature and environment. (photo: Shai Issacs/NPA)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.