How unexploded bombs cause environmental damage – and why climate change exacerbates the problem

Piles of unexploded metal bombs lay on top of each other in the desert of Iraq.

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

There are a record number of conflicts raging around the world – from Ukraine and Gaza to Sudan and Myanmar. Alongside their devastating human toll, these conflicts are all wreaking havoc on the environment.