Fears rise over damage war will inflict on wildlife

Environmental organisations were watching and waiting anxiously last night in the hope that the securing of Iraq's oilfields by advancing troops would help to limit the potentially massive environmental consequences of the conflict.

Both governments and environmental groups were deeply concerned that Saddam Hussein would attempt a repeat of 1991 when he used – possibly for the first time in a theatre of war – large-scale environmental damage as a weapon. Reports that seven oil wells had been set alight were seen as an ominous sign.

Greenpeace said further pollution from the current conflict would hinder the "fragile" recovery, which is still going on, of marine and bird populations devastated by the impact of the 1991 Gulf War.

They are desperately hoping the Iraqis will not repeat the action they took in 1991, when they set light to 600 Kuwaiti oil wells, which burnt around 67 million tonnes of oil and created a massive blanket of soot, gases and toxic chemicals. A black rain fell for two weeks.

At about the same time, between six and eight million barrels of oil were deliberately poured into the Gulf, causing the world's biggest oil spill – 30 miles long and eight miles wide. In comparison, the Exxon Valdez spillage, which caused widespread environmental damage in Alaska, consisted of only 230,000 barrels.

The consequences of the 1991 events are still being felt. The fires created serious respiratory problems in local people, death rates rose by 10 per cent over the following year and there are still long-term risks of birth defects and cancers. Kuwait's Environmental Protection Agency recently said it had noticed an increase in cancers in the area, which it believes are linked to the fires.

Sticky lakes of oil residue still mar the desert around Kuwait and clean-up efforts have been hampered by fears of unexploded bombs beneath.

Bird and marine life was severely hit. Many parts of Iraq, particularly in the southern wetlands fed by the Tigris-Euphrates, are permanent or breeding homes for many species of birds, mainly wading and migratory species, some of which are globally threatened. The wetlands have already deteriorated through dryness caused by Iraq's damming and hydrological engineering works.

Countless thousands of birds died in 1991 and some populations have been slow to recover. Seawater temperatures fell, coral reefs were damaged and important shrimp fisheries declined. Hawksbill and green turtles, which use the islands of the Gulf for nesting, were killed and others showed wounds.

A spokesman for Greenpeace said: "It is possible that pollution from the deliberate release or spillage of oil may still occur on the same scale as during the 1991 war. If this happens, similar impacts can be expected, but of a more severe nature due to the fragility of the slowly recovering ecosystems after the last conflict.''

Another concern is the simple consequence of putting massive armies from both sides into Gulf region. About 80 ships were sunk during the 1991 war, many carrying oil and munitions, which will remain a source of pollution for many years to come. The figure is almost certain to be increased as a result of this conflict.

Greenpeace said the desert is already being damaged in the same fashion as 1991. Tanks, tracked vehicles and bombs pulverise the topsoil and destroy vegetation. After 1991, 5,000 Iraqi tanks, 120,000 tonnes of ammunition and 80,000 tonnes of bombs were left behind.

Environmental Resources Management, a company which advised the Kuwait Oil company on the clean-up in 1991, has warned that the desert pavement, the thin layer of small rocks or pebbles that cover vast parts of the desert surface, could once again be broken up by thousands of heavy military vehicles.