Rebuilding After Ruin: Rebuilding Life and Nature After the Conflict

-- A Conversation with Minar Thapa Magar

War and disasters leave behind more than broken buildings and displaced populations; they fracture the invisible systems that allow human life to flourish. When a settlement collapses, the delicate relationship between people, infrastructure, and the surrounding environment is severed. Homes turn to debris, roads disappear, and as communities scatter, the environmental consequences ripple through the soil, water, and forests.

Understanding how these systems break and how they can be rebuilt sustainably is no longer just a technical exercise; it is an urgent humanitarian challenge.

In this edition of Nature Insights, we sit down with development practitioner Minar Thapa Magar, whose career has been forged at the intersection of human displacement and resilient reconstruction. From the post-earthquake landscapes of Nepal and the hills of the Rohingya response in Bangladesh to the flood-ravaged plains of Pakistan and the complex recovery discussions for Syria and Ukraine, Minar has witnessed the "environmental scars" that crises leave behind.

"For communities in crisis, the environment can seem like a luxury when they lack food and water," Minar observes. Yet he challenges the dangerous idea that environmental protection can wait for "better times." In a candid conversation for our Conflict and Nature edition, he unpacks how drone technology, indigenous knowledge, and a "Green Response" are far more than just technical tools—they are essential components for restoring human dignity.

How do we rebuild 2.1 million homes without destroying the very ecosystems that sustain them? How do we navigate the "triple challenge" of governance, climate, and instability? Minar joins us to provide a masterclass in how unified frameworks and localized planning can prevent reconstruction from becoming a secondary environmental disaster.

Environmental Scars of Destroyed Settlements

Zainab: Based on your experience, how does the sudden destruction of settlements affect the surrounding ecosystem? What kinds of environmental scars appear?

Minar: A settlement works like a living system. Physical infrastructure, economic activities, social relations, and environmental conditions all function together within a specific geography. Every settlement forms its own balance.

When conflict strikes, this balance collapses almost immediately. Displacement becomes the first shock. People flee in large numbers, essential services stop functioning, and infrastructure is destroyed through bombings, missiles, or ground fighting.

The environmental scars are extensive. Collapsed buildings produce huge amounts of debris mixed with hazardous materials. Rubbles may contain chemicals, asbestos, heavy metals, and fuel residues that contaminate soil and water. Industrial damage can release pollutants into surrounding ecosystems. Blocked roads disrupt waste collection and emergency services.

Conflict recovery is often harder than recovery after natural disasters. In Syria, for example, estimates suggest that debris management alone may take three to five years before rebuilding can even begin. With factories destroyed, construction materials must be imported from neighboring countries, which places additional stress on the environment. Returning populations then create further pressure on already damaged ecosystems.

Balancing Shelter Needs with Environmental Sustainability

Zainab: In crisis situations, how can planners provide immediate shelter while protecting the environment during reconstruction?

Minar: In disaster recovery, governments usually conduct post-disaster needs assessments to estimate housing losses and financial requirements. A national recovery framework then brings together governments, international organizations, NGOs, private sector actors, and communities.

Even then, funding gaps remain huge. In Pakistan, rebuilding around 2.1 million homes requires billions of dollars beyond available resources.

During reconstruction, environmental impacts often receive less attention. Producing materials such as cement, bricks, and stone places strong pressure on natural resources and contributes to carbon emissions.

To reduce this impact, humanitarian actors increasingly use environmental assessment tools such as QSAND developed by Building Research Establishment and NEAT+ used by the Global Shelter Cluster. These tools help measure environmental impact and guide decision-makers toward greener construction practices. The goal is rebuilding homes quickly without creating new environmental damage.

The Strength of Local Ecological Knowledge

Zainab: How can local communities use their own knowledge to help restore settlements and ecosystems?

Minar: Locally led approaches are extremely important. Communities understand their environment, land use patterns, and climate risks better than external actors.

In Pakistan, we are working on Climate Resilient Settlement Development Plans. Using drone imagery and GIS mapping, damaged settlements are mapped and shared with local communities. Residents identify their homes, roads, and infrastructure needs directly on these maps. They help design future settlement plans that include climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and sustainable livelihoods.

Conflict zones make participation more difficult because land ownership disputes often arise when displaced people return. Yet planning at a local, area-based level remains one of the strongest ways to rebuild trust and produce practical solutions.

Where Reconstruction Planning Should Begin

Zainab: In regions facing climate change, instability, and weak governance, where should reconstruction planning begin?

Minar: The first step is building a coordinated recovery framework that connects different sectors and institutions. Conflict often weakens government structures, and many bureaucrats may have fled or lost institutional records.

Technology can help accelerate planning. Satellite images and drone surveys allow planners to quickly assess damage, population density, and infrastructure networks. These datasets can then be shared with communities to create an interactive planning process.

In Pakistan, for instance, drone imagery has been used to develop local master plans. Communities help identify priorities, and the information is presented to government agencies, international organizations, and NGOs. This shared understanding improves transparency and coordination during reconstruction.

A Global Policy Shift for Nature-Sensitive Reconstruction

Zainab: If you could change one global policy on post-war reconstruction to protect nature, what would it be?

Minar: As the discussion draws toward policy recommendations, several principles that could guide environmentally responsible reconstruction after conflict.

First, recovery efforts require unified frameworks led by governments but supported by international partners and local stakeholders. Fragmented approaches often result in duplicated work or conflicting strategies.

Second, environmental protection must be embedded directly into recovery plans through measurable goals and indicators. Climate resilience and ecosystem preservation should not be treated as optional add-ons but as core components of rebuilding.

Third, humanitarian and development organizations must break down institutional silos. Effective reconstruction requires coordination across sectors housing, water, sanitation, energy, environment, and economic development.

Fourth, planning must be localized. Communities themselves must be involved in setting priorities and understanding environmental goals. For people struggling to access food and clean water, environmental protection may initially appear secondary. The challenge is to meet immediate needs while still protecting the ecosystems that sustain long-term recovery.

Finally, the importance of adopting a “green response” from the earliest stages of crisis response. The first days and weeks after a disaster or conflict often involve rapid procurement of materials and emergency supplies. Poor decisions during this phase, such as excessive reliance on disposable plastics or environmentally damaging construction materials, can create long-term environmental problems. Early planning and environmentally conscious choices can prevent those mistakes.

Forthermore, for engaging younger generations is a critical part of this effort. Across many countries, young engineers, data scientists, and planners are increasingly involved in designing recovery strategies that combine technology with sustainability. Their work represents a shift toward rebuilding communities not only faster, but smarter and more responsibly.

The rebuilding of settlements after conflict is never simple. It demands resources, coordination, and patience. Yet within that challenge lies an opportunity; the chance to reconstruct communities in ways that restore both human dignity and environmental balance. By integrating technology, local knowledge, and sustainable planning, recovery efforts can move beyond merely replacing what was lost toward creating settlements that are stronger, more resilient, and better connected to the ecosystems that support them.

Interviewer Bio:  Minar Thapa Magar is a humanitarian and climate resilience specialist with extensive experience in disaster risk reduction and management, housing reconstruction and settlement planning & recovery. He has led national and provincial recovery platforms in Nepal & Pakistan and supported government‑led processes, strengthened systems, coordinated multi‑stakeholder efforts, and advanced climate‑resilient, community‑centered reconstruction, urban planning, disaster risk reduction and management initiatives in Asia & Africa.