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Environmental Mainstreaming In Mine Action: A Case Study Of Moving Beyond "Do No Harm", Emily Chrystie

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Interest within the mine action sector in mainstreaming environmental issues has rocketed in the past few years. The establishment of cross-sector working groups, the investigatory work of organizations such as the Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), and increased donor interest in directing funds toward environmental projects are arguably the result of broad scientific consensus on the increasingly destructive effects of anthropogenic forces on global ecosystems.

The well-established concept of do no harm1 is a framework commonly applied in the broader humanitarian sector and has been put forward as directly applicable to environmental concerns within mine action.2 The concept broadly reflects …

Mine Action And Food Security: The Complexities Of Clearing Ukraine's Agricultural Lands, Markus Schindler, Anthony Connell

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Over the past decade, peace has eluded Ukraine. The annexation of Crimea and a separatist insurgency—sufficiently concerning in their own right—proved to be a mere prelude to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The largest land-war that Europe has seen since the Second World War is causing immense human suffering, devastating destruction, and extensive explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination. Mines, submunitions, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) continue to cost the lives of countless civilians and the death toll is rising by the day. Mine action organizations such as Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD) are working in Ukraine to …

Mine Mark Digital Eore: Being Innovative As A Small Ngo In The Mine Action Sector, Nils Hegel, Jonathan Walsh

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Children account for approximately one-third of all civilian casualties caused by unexploded ordnance (UXO), yet explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) for young people is often outdated, dry, or too technical.1 In this article, the Mine Mark Foundation outlines the promising potential for digital EORE, the challenges and opportunities faced by smaller nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the benefits they can offer the global mine action community.

Imas: An Overview Of New And Amended Standards, Abigail Hartley, Lionel Pechera, Sasha Logie

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

New and existing International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) doctrine (including standards, technical notes for mine action, and test and evaluation protocols) are developed and regularly updated to ensure that IMAS remain fit for purpose to support mine action programs in reducing the risk of explosive ordnance (EO) to affected populations. This article provides a summary of the most recent IMAS publications to enable mine action organizations and authorities to stay up to date with the latest IMAS developments.

How Uav Lidar Imaging Can Locate And Map Minefield Features: Cuito Cuanavale, Angola, Katherine James, Gert Riemersma, Pedro Pacheco

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In this article we outline how an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mounted light detection and ranging (Lidar) mapping system has been used for the detection and mapping of minefields in vegetated areas around Cuito Cuanavale, Angola. Work took place as part of The HALO Trust’s (HALO) research into aiding clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) using drones.

Computer Vision Detection Of Explosive Ordnance: A High-Performance 9n235/9n210 Cluster Submunition Detector, Adam Harvey, Emile Lebrun

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The detection of explosive ordnance (EO) objects is experiencing a period of innovation driven by the convergence of new technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, open-source intelligence (OSINT) processing, and remote mobility capabilities such as drones and robotics.1 Advances are being made on at least two tracks: in the automated searching of photographic image archives, and in the real-time detection of objects in the field.2 Different technologies are responsive to different types of EO detection challenges, such as objects that are buried, semi-buried, or partially damaged. Computer vision—a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that enables computers and systems …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 27.2 (2023), The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

• Updates on recent enhancements to IMAS.
• Food security and its connection to mine action as it applies to Ukraine.
• Digital EORE as a small NGO in mine action.
• A case study on moving beyond "do no harm" in environmental mainstreaming in mine action.
• Efforts of JICA and CMAC in fostering South-South cooperation in mine action.
• UAV Lidar imaging in mine action to detect and map minefields in Angola.
• Land disputes and rights in mine action.
• Computer vision detection of explosive ordnance.

Mine Action And South-South Cooperation: Case Of Jica And Cmac, Hayashi Ontoku Akihito

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

South-South cooperation has been pursued across various fields of international development. However, there has been a paucity of efforts to promote South-South cooperation in mine action. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Cambodia Mine Action Centre (CMAC) have been at the forefront of expanding South-South and global cooperation by leveraging CMAC's extensive experience and expertise accumulated over its thirty years’ of operation. This article delves into the motives and mechanisms behind JICA’s and CMAC's joint efforts to foster this collaboration.

Land-Grabbing, Tribal Conflict, And Settler-Nomad Disputes: Land Rights In Mine Action, Nicholas Ross

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mine action is intrinsically linked to land rights. While mine action creates multi-dimensional positive humanitarian and development impacts, clearance of explosive ordnance (EO) and land release can lead to competition, contestation, and potential conflict over that land. Settled farmers lay claim and block access to lands which nomadic pastoralists traverse or use for grazing. Local strongmen grab and confiscate land. Families returning from displacement find their ancestral lands seized. And governments and citizens may have very different ideas about who should own lands close to communities which, following EO clearance, are now more productive, where resources are more accessible, and …

27.1 Endnotes

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 27.1 (2023)

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Accessible pdf attached.

• Sustainable Mine Action Programs
• Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, and Yemen
• The Next Generation of Humanitarian Mine Action Researchers
• PSSM: Building Cadres of Instructors through train-the-trainer programs

The Effects Of Erw Contamination In Sri Lanka, Jennifer Dathan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Sri Lankan Civil War (July 1983–May 2009), between the government and the Tamil Tigers, was a conflict marked by the extensive use of explosive weapons. Predominantly affecting the majority-Tamil areas in the north and east (Tamil Eelam), the violence left deep scars upon the communities in these areas. The land is still heavily marked by the legacy of landmines, air-dropped bombs, and other explosive remnants of war (ERW).

Mitigating Adverse Environmental Impacts In Mine Action, Martin Jebens, Gianluca Maspoli

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In order to help mitigate adverse environmental impacts, this article supports the mainstreaming of environmental concerns into mine action. This is achievable by strengthening existing standards, and is motivated by two main factors.

Preparing For The Future: How The Sdgs Impact Mine Action, Ursign Hofmann, Olaf Juergensen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Adopted by all U.N. Member States in September 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) entered into effect on 1 January 2016 to guide development efforts. The SDGs are in the early stages of implementation and are still being mainstreamed into mine action. This article draws on a timely study from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that aims to stimulate collective thinking in the sector, provides policy recommendations, and offers implementation tools.

The Challenge Of Long-Term Risk Management In Mine Action, Robert White

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

States affected by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) are faced with a number of difficult decisions when they establish their mine action program, such as “how deep should operators clear?” and “what tasks should they do first?” The deliberations and conclusions that ultimately are drawn together in national standards are part of an implicit or explicit risk management approach. Over time, risk assessments require review and modification to reflect different contexts.

Bridging A Critical Mine Action Information Management Gap: Complex Conflict Environments, Isam Ghareeb Barzangy

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Historically the Republic of Iraq is one of the most severely landmine, explosive remnants of war (ERW), and improvised explosive device (IED) afflicted nations in the world. Though possessed with a robust humanitarian mine action (HMA) program in the three northern Kurdish governorates before the Iraq War (2003–2011), the remainder of the country was largely without any HMA focus until the removal of the Ba’ath regime. Iraq’s border with Iran contains major military minefields and ERW, while small arms and innumerable stockpiles of ammunition remain throughout the country. High levels of landmine, ERW, and IED contamination are a major challenge …

Social Inclusion Of Marginalized Communities: Mine Action In Laos, Tina Kalamar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A complex array of factors including gender, age, disability, ethnicity, geographical location, language, religious affiliation, and economic and educational status are enabling or constraining social inclusion of people in different contexts. This paper presents a case study that illustrates how mine action can both contribute to and benefit from greater social inclusion.

Using Mobile Geographic Information Systems To Improve Operational Efficiency, Data Reliability, And Access In Mine Action, Paul Rittenhouse, Lindsay Aldrich

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The inherently complex field of mine action, with its many political, financial, and physical considerations, is also a spatial, data-driven field; and as a result, geographic information systems (GIS) stand to play a major role. Spatial data can help address questions such as: Where are the hazardous areas and what has been cleared or cancelled? Where have teams already surveyed? Where should they go next? How many square meters have been cleared? Due to the complexities surrounding assigning tasks and prioritization, standard operating procedures (SOP), quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and database design, GIS often gets limited to high-level planning, database …

Mine Action In Burma: Building Trust And Incremental Gains, Greg Crowther, Josephine Dresner, Michael Aaron

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Burma has long been known to be heavily contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), with 3,693 casualties reported since 1999.1 The area is a complex and dynamic environment for humanitarian organizations, with multiple overlapping and interlinked conflicts between a number of disparate Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO) and the Burmese Armed Forces, fought over several decades. In this context, international humanitarian mine action (HMA) operators have not been able to provide any form of technical response; there is currently no mine action coordination center, no agreed national standards, and no demarcation, technical survey, or clearance operations recognized by …

Effectiveness And Impact Of Undp Mine Action Support: Lessons Learned, Charles Downs, Alan Fox

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported mine action in more than 40 countries since its first involvement in Cambodia in 1992. UNDP support generally focuses on the development of national mine action management capacities. In early 2016, the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of UNDP concluded the first global evaluation of the results of UNDP support in mine action, with particular attention to its effectiveness and impact. The evaluation reviewed documentation relating to all national, UNDP-supported mine action programs, in-depth desk reviews of support to 14 countries, and background for field case studies of three national programs (Laos, Mozambique, …

Mobile Data Collection: Interoperability Through New Architecture, Elizabeth Vinek, Sulaiman Mukahhal, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Information management (IM) requires close collaboration between all parties in a mine action program and cannot be carried out in isolation. Effective IM involves tools as well as organizational processes that clearly define how different parties interact and function with IM. Without adequately defining processes through National Mine Action Standards (NMAS) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), even the most advanced and fit-for-purpose IM tools will lack the foundation to be effective.

From The Field: Mobile Technologies For Mine Action, Torsten Vikstrom

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Breakthroughs in technology development transformed desktop computers into small, powerful mobile units equipped with intelligent software and extensive possibilities to connect and interact. Alternatively, the world of mine action still depends on manual work done with pen and paper, and the process of field data collection is especially exposed. However, field tests show that the use of mobile technology vastly improves safety and increases the effectiveness of field work. Adapting to new mobile technologies for field data collection will also positively affect the ways in which we gather, share, analyze, monitor and evaluate information.

Afghanistan’S National Mine Action Strategic Plan (2016–2021), Mohammad Akbar Oriakhil

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Afghanistan suffers from severe landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination, mostly as a result of the Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989), internal conflict lasting from 1992 to 1996, and the United States-led coalition intervention in late 2001.

Maximizing The Effectiveness Of Mobile Technology, Howard Rudat

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mobile technology has transformed the way we live our lives and has the potential to dramatically assist in demining. However, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems coupled with explosive remnants of war (ERW) related applications leave capability gaps and create potential risks that must be closed. A more tailored and deliberate ecosystem approach when employing mobile technology will yield greater benefits and avoid the problems encountered when Alexa, Cortana, Google Now or Siri do not provide the necessary information. It seems that at the times when you need information the most, the smart personal assistants provided by Google, Apple and Microsoft either …

Mobile Technology In Mine Action: The Fulcrum Application, Camille Wallen, Nick Torbet

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 2014, The HALO Trust (HALO) began trialing Fulcrum, a mobile data collection application for survey developed by Fulcrum Mobile Solutions. Due to the success of the trial, the subscription-based commercial product, designed specifically for mobile data collection, was used in eight HALO programs. Using Fulcrum, HALO has created 35 applications that collect data for a variety of outputs, including rapid contamination assessments, socioeconomic and impact surveys, minefield quality assurance checks, vehicle and logistics checks, and a number of reports including technical and nontechnical surveys, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), mine risk education (MRE), and daily minefield stats reports.

Transition And National Capacity After Article 5 Compliance, Hans Risser, Christian Ruge

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In June 2014, State Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) met in Maputo, Mozambique, for the 3rd Review Conference of the APMBC, fifteen years after its entry into force. As the review conference approached, State Parties faced a growing call from civil society and some State Parties to commit to complete all obligations in the treaty as rapidly as possible. The majority of State Parties have already completed their APBMC obligations to destroy stockpiles of anti-personnel (AP) mines. However, surveying and clearing all known mined areas in a state’s territory in accordance with obligations under Article 5 of …

Arms Management And Destruction Programming: Taking Stock, Chris Loughran, Djadranka Gillesen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Arms Management and Destruction (AMD) sector— an element of conventional weapons destruction (CWD) that includes several elements of physical security and stockpile management (PSSM)—has experienced dynamic growth over the last 18 months. An increasing number of programs address illicit and poorly stored weapons, enhance the safety and security of arms storage, and support the development of national capacity, including MAG’s regional initiative in the Sahel and West Africa. As a distinct AMD sector emerges, now is the time to analyze what makes programming strategies effective as well as ineffective. The industry must resist the temptation to talk about best …

An Overview Of Mozambique’S Mine-Free District Process, Antonio Belchior Vaz Martíns, Hans Risser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the 1990s, Mozambique ranked among countries such as Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, and Iraq as one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. At the time, experts estimated that clearing all landmines in Mozambique would take 50 to 100 years. Landmines were widely used by all sides during the conflicts that ravaged Mozambique from the mid-1960s until 1992. These nuisance minefields usually consisted of small numbers of mines in seemingly random or undefined areas mostly around paths, wells and rural infrastructure. Large-pattern minefields tended to be the exception rather than the norm in Mozambique. Given the …

Tiramisu Final Technology Demonstration At Sedee-Dovo, Yann Yvinec, Vinciane Lacroix, Yvan Baudoin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On 24 September 2015, and in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium (RMA) organized a demonstration for mine action tools in Meerdael, Belgium. At the Belgian EOD battalion premises of SEDEE-DOVO, RMA presented technology developed under the TIRAMISU project, which was co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by RMA. Designed by twenty-six different organizations, the tools covered multiple elements of mine action, including survey, operation and validation, information management, mine risk education (MRE), close-in-detection, and personnel protective equipment (PPE). Organizers held inside and outside demonstrations as well as discussions …

Endnotes Issue 20.1, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction 20.1 Endnotes