Environmental Impact of Militarization in Gotland

GOTLAND, SWEDEN - AUGUST 05: The Gvisvard port is seen at dusk in Gotland Island, Sweden on August 05, 2022. Gvisvard district is affected by a new martial prohibition disabling civilians from building up permanent resident houses on their properties and land within 10 kilometers perimeter around of any military deployment in the island. The resolution applied from two years now affecting families’ housing projects and their descendants. The presence of military troops in Gotland island increased in recent years in the frame of the Russian military operations against Ukraine, starting with the annexation of Crimea back in March 2014. Since then, the Swedish military is taking steps to strengthen its presence in the island with a large acceptance of the local population, yet triggering the concern of the environmental groups who observe the deployment of the army personnel and military exercises across the island as a negative impact in the life ecosystem at both: in the human and the wild spheres.