This paper summarizes the results of environmental surveys carried out under the auspices of the United Nations by a large number of experts on the various environmental aspects (marine, atmospheric and terrestrial), for three months within the period April–July 1991, following the cessation of hostilities of the 1991 Gulf War. The surveys focused on the environmental consequences of the massive oil spill off the Kuwait coast and the largest man-made air pollution episode resulting from the detonation of hundreds of Kuwaiti oil wells. These two major sources of pollution, together with intensive military activities in a fragile arid environment, all created considerable and potentially devastating perturbations on the region's natural environment. Impacts on the marine environment were most noticeable along the Saudi Arabian coast, where damage to coastal critical habitats in certain areas seemed almost irreversible; less damage was observed along the Kuwaiti, Iraqi and Iranian coasts, and impact was almost below level of detection in other parts of the Gulf's marine and coastal areas. In all cases, however, long-term effects on marine and coastal environment and on marine productivity and living resources, particularly fisheries resources, would need further detailed investigations in order to ascertain their degree and extent. Similarly, the impact of atmospheric pollution was of limited concern with respect to immediate and short-term effect on human health, due to favourable meteorological conditions that prevailed in the region during the episode. However, its long-term effects are still to be determined through elaborate studies of the pollutants themselves and of exposed populations. Furthermore, atmospheric pollution, through fall out on land and sea areas, had noticeable effects on terrestrial and marine environments. Terrestrial ecosystems also suffered at varying degrees from the war hostilities and military operations on land, hence adversely affecting the land productivity and the region's livestock, particularly in Iraq and Kuwait.