Nuclear security

Even a 'minor' nuclear war would spur worldwide ecological disaster, expert warns

The greatest concern over nuclear warfare derives from relatively new research which has modelled the indirect effect of nuclear detonations on the environment and climate.

The most-studied scenario is a limited regional nuclear war between India and Pakistan, involving 100 Hiroshima-sized warheads (small by modern standards) detonated mostly over urban areas. 

Many analysts suggest that this is a plausible scenario in the event of an all-out war between the two states, whose combined arsenals amount to more than 220 nuclear warheads.

In this event, an estimated 20m people could die within a week from the direct effects of the explosions, fire, and local radiation.