In 2001, November 6 was designated by the UN General Assembly as "International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict" (see A/RES/56/4). Here are a few information resources that provide an introduction to and basic overview of the impact of war and conflict on the environment.
Armed Conflict, Refugees and the Environment (World Resources Institute) -http://earthtrends.wri.org/features/view_feature.cfm?theme=10&fid=43
Environment and Conflict (Environmental Literacy Council) - http://www.enviroliteracy.org/subcategory.php/222.html
Environment and Forced Migration: A Review Paper for 4th IRAP conference 5-9 January 1994, Oxford (W. Franklin G. Cardy) - http://tinyurl.com/d5wbc
Environment, Conflict and Cooperation (Adelphi Research, GermanWatch) - http://www.ecc-platform.org/
Post-Conflict Assessment Unit (UNEP) - http://postconflict.unep.ch/
Protection of the Natural Environment in Time of Armed Conflict, International Review of the Red Cross, no. 285 (1991), p. 567-578 - http://tinyurl.com/dxgqz
War Torn Environment: Interpreting the Legal Threshold (Brill, 2004) - http://www.brill.nl/m_catalogue_sub6_id21821.htm
- This is the table of contents for a book by Karen Hulme on the subject.
Working for People and the Environment (UNHCR) - http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home?page=protect&id=3b94c47b4