The negative influence of armament on ecological security. Can it be reduced?

This article looks at the question of the influence of armament and military activity on the environment during peace time. Different types of threats were characterized, posed by the production, storage, testing, liquidation and use of conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction. The aim of this article is to show some examples of threats for the environment, generated by armaments, and to present possible ways to reduce them. Except for the general characteristic of the different factors having a negative influence on ecological safety, some historical examples were shown of armaments which had harmed the environment in particular. Then activities will be presented, which have been being conducted by states individually or under international agreements, and strive to reduce this influence. The pure environment is one of human rights and an awareness of the importance of ecological security is growing in societies. That why the question of ensuring safety, especially in such a controversial matter as armament, becomes one of the most important global problems.