This case study examines the long-term effects of the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel, demonstrating how conflict can have an enduring impact on land, security, and livelihoods even after hostilities have ceased. In the affected areas of southern Lebanon, the presence of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and the widespread use of landmines and cluster munitions throughout the war period, have created lasting risks for civilians and severe limitations on agricultural use of the land.

There are three main legacy issues that significantly affect the land: according to FAO estimates from 2006, post-conflict explosions caused at least 150 civilian injuries and 21 deaths, affecting farmers, herders, and children. Furthermore, exploded and unexploded ordnance released heavy metals into the soil, contaminated aquifers, and rendered vast agricultural areas unsafe or unusable. Lastly, the bombings caused serious and lasting damage to irrigation infrastructure, leaving dozens of villages without water resources.

The case study is analyzed across three dimensions: nature of the conflict, effects of the conflict on land, and protracted effect on conflict, to show how soil contamination, infrastructure destruction, and reduced access to productive land, continue to compromise livelihoods, exacerbate food insecurity, and increase the socioeconomic vulnerability of affected communities.