The intersection of military strategy and ecological manipulation represents one of the most insidious frontiers of modern conflict. While the horrors of conventional and nuclear warfare remain vividly etched in the global consciousness, the capacity to weaponise the natural processes of the Earth itself—altering weather patterns, inducing seismic activity, or destabilising ecosystems—presents an existential threat to our planet.

At the centre of the legal framework designed to prevent these catastrophic scenarios sits the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, commonly known as ENMOD. Adopted by the United Nations in 1976, ENMOD was conceived to draw a definitive line between human conflict and the deliberate destruction of the biosphere.

However, in an era defined by a severe climate crisis, rapid geopolitical realignment, and unprecedented technological advancements, ENMOD has faded into institutional obscurity. To preserve the long-term habitability of the Earth, the international community must urgently resurrect, reform, and rigorously enforce this dormant treaty.

The impetus for creating ENMOD did not stem from abstract scientific speculation, but from concrete military operations that proved the terrifying viability of environmental manipulation. Between 1967 and 1972, a major global superpower executed Operation Popeye, a highly classified cloud-seeding programme over a neighbouring region during a prolonged conflict.

The operational objective was straightforward yet devastating: prolong the monsoon season, saturate the terrain, induce flash floods, and wash away river crossings to render the logistical supply lines of........

© The Friday Times