Prepared by: Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA), Afghanistan
Temporarily located in:
House # 291 Street 56, F-10/4, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel.: 92-51-211451 Fax: 92- 51- 211471
E-mail: mcpa@mcpa-afg.sdnpk.undp.org
1. Introduction:
Humanitarian mine clearance is a new phenomenon in the world. Therefore, well coordinated and concrete steps are needed to be taken at international level to address this issue. The humanitarian mine clearance technology has evolved at organizational, regional or national level in various parts of the world depending on the local requirements. However, very little has been done so far at international level to learn from these individual but practical lessons. The current efforts to develop humanitarian mine clearance technology is either not or poorly coordinated with field level requirements. Efforts are required to organize the humanitarian mine clearance technology at international level and develop criterion, procedures and standards that could be adopted at international level to enhance the effectiveness, cost efficiency, reliability and safety in the humanitarian mine clearance.
2. Essential Components of a Humanitarian Mine Action Programme:
In order to be effective in addressing the landmine problem, there are five interrelated components of humanitarian mine action. Therefore, the word "mine clearance" has been progressively replaced by "mine action" which covers all the essential aspects of humanitarian mine action.
a. Mine Awareness:
This component aims at reducing civilian casualties caused by mines and other explosive devices through educating the civilians on the identification and avoidance of risks associated with living in a mine contaminated environment. Conducting mine awareness is particularly important when refugees and internally displaced persons are returning to their mine contaminated home towns. Mine awareness has proved to be an effective measure in reducing civilian casualties caused by mines and unexploded ordinance (UXOs).
b. Mine Clearance Training and Monitoring:
This component provides individuals and teams with the skills required for safe and efficient removal of explosive devices. This component also ensures the quality of the mine action work through regular monitoring and refresher training for the mine clearance personnel. Based on the results of the monitoring, procedures are revised and updated and new trials are conducted with the intention to introduce more effective and safe procedures. Testing of new equipment and providing necessary training to mine clearance personnel in this regard is another important responsibility of this component. In addition, this component investigates and analyzes mine clearance accidents to identify key areas for improvement in safety performance of mine clearance personnel.
c. Minefield Survey and Planning:
This component consists of two main parts; general (Level One ) survey and technical (Level Two) survey. General survey aims at identification, mapping and recording of areas contaminated by mines and UXOs to quantify the type, size and scope of the mine problem to be dealt with. General survey provides an overall picture of the mine problem in a particular area and assists in effective planning and efficient allocation of mine action resources. Technical (Level Two) survey aims at detailed and precise marking, mapping and recording of the minefields and contributes to the effectiveness of mine clearance activities through the preparation of areas for clearance operations. Minefield survey and planning plays a key role in the effective and efficient conduct of mine clearance operations.
d. Mine Clearance:
This component aims at making mine contaminated areas safe for productive use through the application of safe and efficient clearance and destruction technology to remove the threat of mines and other explosive devices. This is the component where most of the resources of mine action are required and which physically eradicates the threat of mines.
e. Mine Action Management Information System:
The fundamental function of this component is data management. This component which consists of a comprehensive computerized database and mapping system aims at accurate record keeping, facilitating long and short term planning, and effective coordination of mine action activities. Assisting in prioritization of mined areas for clearance is another main function of this component. In addition, this component eases efficient decision making, and assists in research and development of new demining procedures and mine clearance technology.
3. Current Mine Clearance Technology:
The clearance of landmines is a complex problem. Mines have been laid in residential (Urban) areas, agriculture land, grazing land, irrigation canals, roads etc. A single approach or one type of technology can not be applied for the clearance of all types of terrain. Therefore, a "Tool Box" approach has to be adopted and different procedures and technology have to be used for the clearance of different types of land.
The current humanitarian mine clearance technology used in various parts of the world is based on the use of very basic equipment, techniques and procedures developed over the recent few years. However, the use of this simple technology with proper procedures has proved to be practical, cost effective, and reliable. Afghanistan could be a good example of the use and evolution of this type of technology. Use of such technology should continue and be further improved and expanded. The currently used mine clearance technology in Afghanistan is simple but cost effective and reliable. The current three main approaches to the humanitarian mine clearance include:
a. Manual Clearance with the Support of Metal Detector &Prodder.
In this method, mines are searched for with the help of a metal detector and investigated with a prodder/bayonet to identify if the reading is only a metal fragment or a mine. If the reading is only a metal fragment, it is removed from the area to prevent further signals and if proved to be a mine then the mine is subsequently destroyed by detonating it in situ with the help of an explosive charge. This method is useful for the clearance of areas mainly contaminated with anti-personnel landmines. Despite being a slow process and associated with some safety concerns for the personnel involved, this method has proved to be practical and very reliable.
b. Manual Clearance with the Support of Explosive Detection Dogs:
In this method mines are detected with the help of explosive detection dogs. When a dog gives an indication, the indication is rechecked with a highly sensitive metal detector and then manually investigated. Fragments and mines are disposed off in accordance with the method explained above. This method is particularly appropriate and useful in the clearance of areas with low probability of mines and areas contaminated with minimum metal mines. This method has proved to be relatively quick, but the safety concerns are still there.
c. Mechanical Clearance:
Various types of hi-tech machines have been used in some parts of the world to clear mines. However, according to the Afghanistan experience, they cost more than the manual mine clearance and are not very reliable. In addition, the maintenance of such machines is extremely difficult in mine affected countries. Therefore, in Afghanistan, hi-tech machines have been replaced by simple soil excavators (backhoes) with some modifications. They have proven to be very effective in the clearance of residential areas and irrigation canals where mines are buried up to two meters deep under rubble and soil. These excavators can further be improved and used on large scale for the clearance of residential areas and irrigation canals.
All the above-mentioned methods of humanitarian mine clearance are effective and practical in specific type of terrain. Therefore, one single method cannot be used for the clearance of all types of terrain.
4. Current Problems of the Humanitarian Mine Clearance:
Most problems associated with humanitarian mine clearance could be avoided or resolved with effective management and planning. However, non availability of cost effective and practical equipment to detect explosives remains a major challenge of the humanitarian mine clearance. Some other common problems encountered during the humanitarian mine clearance operations are briefly highlighted below:
a. Non Availability of Minefield Records:
One of the main problems of the humanitarian mine clearance is the non availability of proper records of mined areas. Mines have been laid by various sources including regular army, malitia, rebel forces etc. Most of the forces that have laid mines have kept no or very poor records. It has happened that many areas have been fought over several times and have remained under control of various groups who have laid their own mines beside the mines already laid by others.
>b. Nuisance Mining:
c. Presence of Metal Fragments:
Mines have been usually used in areas where heavy fighting has taken
place. As a result, millions of metal fragments have been littered
all over these areas. The presence of metal fragments considerably
hampers the mine clearance operations making it extremely slow and
time consuming. Each piece of metal has to be treated as a mine.
Besides slowing the operations, deminers lose interest and
concentration due to frustration of continuously digging up metal
fragments. This sometimes results in mine accidents among the
deminers. In Afghanistan about 450 metal fragments are detected and
investigated for each mine found..
d. Hard, Rocky and Bushy Ground:
The ground surface in some areas, especially roads, where mines have been laid many years ago, is often very hard. Prodding for mines in such areas is very dangerous. If excessive force is applied, the chance of initiating a mine becomes very high, especially in anti personnel minefields. Rocky and bushy ground also makes the task of demining slow and dangerous.
e. Demining of Residential Areas:
Residential areas of major cities, where fighting is usually centered, have been heavily mined. Walls and roofs have collapsed after mines had been placed in houses. In some cases the area has to be dug out more than two meters to reach the original ground level. Clearance of residential area is one of the most difficult and time consuming task of humanitarian mine clearance. Therefore, the lowest clearance rate has been experienced in residential areas.
f. Minimum Metal Mines:
Minimum metal mines are also one of the main problems of humanitarian mine clearance. There are mines such as Type-72 ( anti personnel ) and TC-6, P2, P3 and M-19 (anti tank), found in some parts of Afghanistan, that contain minimum metal. Detection of these mines by common metal detector is almost impossible.
g. Funding:
Provision of sufficient funds is a major factor in successful conduct of humanitarian mine clearance. The funding level of the mine action programmes around the world is not satisfactory. For instance the Mine Action Programme for Afghanistan has several times suffered severe funding problems. If more funds had been made available, large areas would have been cleared. This would have helped in early return of land to productive use and accelerated the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their hometowns. Rehabilitation and reconstruction process would have also accelerated and more importantly mine casualties would have considerably decreased among civilian population.
5. Future Task:
The humanitarian mine clearance technology is still in its primary stage and requires much more inputs to be further improved and developed. The following points are to be taken into account while addressing the future tasks of humanitarian mine clearance:
a. Total Ban on Landmines:
Unless production, stockpiling, transfer and use of new landmines are totally banned, the humanitarian mine clearance effort alone will hardly achieve its ultimate goal which is making the land safe from the threat of landmines. A total ban on landmines is, therefore, crucial for the total eradication of the landmine problem.
b. Securing Sufficient Funds:
Securing sufficient funds and resources for the sustainability and expansion of the on going mine action activities is one of the main tasks of the future. The irregular or under funding of the mine action activities seriously affect the productivity of these activities. If sufficient resources are made available, the mine clearance operations could be expanded and high priority mined areas cleared rather in a short time. This would result in time saving and allow quick rehabilitation, repatriation and resumption of essential socioeconomic activities and reduce civilian mine casualties. It is hoped the more funds will be allocated by the international community in the coming years due to the increased awareness of the international community about the landmine problem created by the Ottawa landmine ban treaty and the award of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize to International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Initiatives, such as demining 2010 and zero victims are obviously steps in the right direction. However, the challenge is not only to secure more funds, but also to make sure that the resources made available are properly and effectively utilized. Principles laid down by the ICBL working group on mine action are very useful in this regard and must be adhered to.
c. Research and Development:
Development of new machines, techniques and procedure plays a very important role in the humanitarian mine clearance operations. Efforts must be made to develop new procedures, techniques, simple and field oriented cheap equipment to enhance the cost efficiency, productivity and safety of the mine clearance operations. The survey and research work can be divided into the following three fields:
i . Development of New Procedures: Development and introduction of new procedures and techniques to the humanitarian mine clearance operations must be given due attention. Trials have to be conducted and more appropriate techniques and procedures investigated and introduced to the mine clearance operations. For example, in Afghanistan, the conduct of trials, introduction of more appropriate procedures and structural changes in the mine clearance teams have considerably increased the productivity of the mine clearance operations. The clearance cost per square meter has been reduced from US$.1.68 to US$ 0.65 and the number of mine incidents during clearance operations has decreased by 30-40%.
ii. Development of Appropriate and Field Oriented Devices/Equipment: The Afghanistan experience showed that the use of hi-tech machines is neither very reliable nor practical and cost effective. Use of machines was stopped in Afghanistan in 1995 after careful assessment and evaluation. The cost of clearance per sqm of mechanical clearance was much higher than of that for the manual clearance. Land cleared by these machines was not as reliable as cleared manually.
However, some simple machines such as backhoes can easily be modified with low cost and very effectively used in the mine clearance operations, particularly in the clearance of residential areas and irrigation canals. In Afghanistan, the use of these machines showed a 300% increase in productivity.
Sophisticated and expensive technology from outside cannot be afforded by the mine affected countries who are suffering from fragile post war economic conditions. Terrain and weather conditions also restrict the use of hi-tech complicated mine clearance technology. Therefore, any research activity should be field oriented and not limited to laboratories and should be tested in the actual minefields. Inputs must be taken from real minefields and those practically involved in the field must be consulted.
iii. Development of Minimum Metal and Explosive Detection Devices: Some practical progress has been made in the field of minimum metal detection, such as the development of a metal detector with high sensitivity. The introduction of a highly sensitive metal detector to mine clearance operations in Afghanistan has assisted to some extent in the detection of minimum metal mines. However, the cost of the highly sensitive metal detector is almost three times more than the common metal detector and cannot be used in areas contaminated with large number of metal fragments.
Introduction of the mine detection dogs to the mine clearance operations in Afghanistan has considerably increased the productivity. However, mine detection dogs have their own limitations and weaknesses. For instance, they cannot work in windy seasons, very hot or very cold weather and cannot work effectively for extended periods of time. Therefore, the main future task for those involved in the research work of the humanitarian mine clearance is the development of a cheap and affordable device that could detect explosive. Some sort of hand held sensors or radar system which can clearly determine the size and shape of a buried object are also to be investigated.
6. Coordination and Formal Exchange of Experience:
The worldwide humanitarian mine action programmes should formally exchange the experience and expertise they have gained in the field of humanitarian mine clearance. Development of a new and effective method and procedure requires time, energy and resources. The already developed effective procedures/techniques in one part of the world can easily be modified and adopted in another part saving time, energy and resources. Therefore, formal exchange of visits of the technical and management staff of the worldwide mine action programmes should regularly take place allowing exchange of views, experience. This will in turn help in the development of new techniques and procedures. Exchange or secondment of concerned staff among various mine action organizations for short periods of time can be another practical way of learning from the experience of each other.
7. Conclusion:
In order to address the landmine problem from a humanitarian point of view, all the interrelated aspects of mine action are to be taken in to account. Even though, the current technology used for humanitarian mine clearance is slow and not absolutely safe, but it is still practical, reliable and affordable. In order to enhance productivity, cost efficiency and safety of humanitarian mine clearance, due attention has to be paid to the development of affordable, easy to operate and field oriented technology. The efforts made in various parts of the world to address the landmine problem need to be coordinated and the experience and expertise gained in this field has to be exchanged. Sufficient funds are to be made available for the on going humanitarian mine clearance operations so that the high priority areas are cleared as soon as possible to facilitate the return of refugees and internally displaced persons and allow resumption of necessary socioeconomic activity and minimize human tolls caused by landmines.