Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Mine Action Process, James Trevelyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

There are three ways to improve the mine action process to allow displaced people to return to their land sooner and with less risk of injury. Naturally, a major increase in aid funding would achieve a similar result using the existing process. Three main avenues to achieve improved outcomes with the same level of funding are as follows:

• Improving the technology, cost effectiveness and reliability of the mine clearance process,
• Applying risk management approaches to manage mine contamination problems, and
• Utilizing local resources and seeking alternative sources of funding more effectively.

The Landmine Impact Survey Process, Richard Kidd

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On August 22, the United Nations certified the process and the results of the Landmine Impact Survey conducted in Yemen. This survey is the first of its kind to be performed in accordance with international standards and marks a revolutionary event in the field of humanitarian mine action. The enhanced quality of information gained through the impact survey will change the way that resources are allocated and operational plans developed. Sophisticated analysis can now take place in support of decision-makers at all levels and progress measured in terms of real value to affected populations.

The Demining Of Farmland - Cost/Benefit Analysis And Quality Control, Peter Schoeck

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The value gained by the demining of farmland is estimated and compared with the cost of demining for manual demining and mechanized demining. It is found that for farmland used for growing ordinary crops (as opposed to “luxury” crops yielding higher prices), the cost of demining and recultivation for reasons of economy is not to exceed 40 cents (U.S.)/m. To reach this target requires mechanized demining wherever possible, confining manual demining to areas not suitable for mechanized demining. A method is shown by which 100 percent safety of the demined area can be achieved and which facilitates quality control. The …

The U.S. Approach: Deminer Personal Protective Equipment Development, George Zahaczewsky

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The deminer and his partner began work at 0730. By 0850, they had cleared 50 square meters. Both men wore frag-jackets, helmets and visors. The victim was clearing by using his prodder. He was called to help his section leader remove grass from a large pothole in the road. As he returned at 0850, he stepped on a mine he had previously missed. (Extracted from the Database of Demining Incident Victims, 1999, Incident #53.)

Reducing Accidents In Demining: Achievements In Afghanistan, James Trevelyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article has been removed.

Comparative Study Of Different Lightweight Head Protection Systems With Full-Face Visors For Humanitarian Deminers, J. Nerenberg, S. Islam, Aris Makris, J.P. Dionne

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A key component of any Personal Protective Ensemble (PPE) for demining is the helmet and/or face shield. For obvious reasons, protecting the face of a deminer is of utmost importance in case of an accidental detonation of a mine. Currently, a wide range of head and face protective devices are available for the deminer, and this study attempts to evaluate these devices from several perspectives.

Wwii Ordnance Still Haunts Europe And The Asia-Pacific Rim, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Explosives and mines from WWI and WWII still turn up on European and Asian construction sites, backyard gardens, beaches, wildlife preserves and former military training ground. For most countries, these discoveries are not isolated incidents but are the result of hastily cleared ammunition dumps, training ground, bombings and mine fields from these wars. In the United Kingdom, over 20 percent of the entire landmass has, at one time, been used for military training. This military training has resulted in uncovered ordnance that dates from cannon and musket balls to modern weapons. Many of the older U.K. ranges can contain an …

The Facts On Protection Needs In Humanitarian Demining, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

When assessing protection needs, my approach has been to determine what the risks are, what injuries result and then decide how to minimize these risks and protect against any residual danger. I also bear in mind that there is no point in prescribing an action or a garment that will not be used.

The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 4.2 (2000), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Deminers, Manual Demining & Their Personal Protection

A Full-Scale Evaluation Of Lightweight Personal Protective Ensembles For Demining In Providing Protection Against Blast-Type Anti-Personnel Mines, Aris Makris, J. Nerenberg

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A wide range of equipment, in the form of helmets, vests, aprons and trousers, is currently in use around the world to protect deminers against the effects of AP mines. Significant variations exist in terms of the level of protection afforded, operational usefulness, quality of manufacturing and cost of each of these components. To date, there have been limited studies undertaken to systematically and quantitatively assess the effectiveness of the different protective components applied to both the civilian and military demining theaters. This study summarizes the efforts of numerous full-scale test series carried out in 1999, with particular emphasis on …

The Spider Boot: An Effective Foot Protection System Against Anti-Personnel Mine Blasts, S. Islam, Aris Makris, Denis Bergeron

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

It is estimated that about 70 million AP landmines are deployed worldwide, slowing down the economic recovery of war torn countries and causing indiscriminate injuries to returning civilian populations long after the end of a conflict. Several military and non-military organizations are currently engaged in mine clearance, either in support of peacekeeping operations or for humanitarian demining.

The Effectiveness Of Different Personal Protective Ensembles In Preventing Injury To The Thorax From Blast-Type Anti-Personnel Mines, J. Nerenberg, Aris Makris, H. Kleine

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

It is well established from numerous documented cases of bomb blasts that, under certain conditions (determined by the amount and proximity of explosive), the transmitted shock wave and associated overpressure generated by the detonation of an explosive device can cause critical and fatal injuries to the thorax, e.g., “blast lung.” As such injuries tend to be internal and thus difficult to detect, there has been considerable debate in recent years on the significance of the blast overpressure injury in the context of demining/mine clearance compared to more visible injuries, such as, amputation of extremities, fragmentation wounds and blindness. A wide …

Personal Protective Equipment: The Never-Ending Story, Lance J. Malin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Now, as always, there is a huge debate about what protection is required and what Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be provided for personnel engaged in demining operations. Current opinion varies drastically between individual demining organizations, countries in which they operate and between governing bodies, which are coordinating the demining efforts.

Deminers, Manual Demining And Their Protective Equipment, Norman Stewart

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Cambodia, a deminer was working in the prone position and set off an anti-personnel type 72 Chinese tilt mine. The resulting blast went over his head and did not damage his exposed hands. The blast over-pressure sucked air and dirt into his helmet visor and punctured his eye, which recovered fully. This over-pressure problem was caused by an air gap between the helmet visor and his protective jacket. Within seven days a new visor was dispatched from the manufacturer to my specifications, tested and found to remove the air gap problem. As part of the daily safety checks carried …

A Squad Of Their Own, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The first all-female demining team was deployed in Kosovo in late November 1999. Comprised of women refugees who had previously been housewives, they are the first all-female demining ream in the world. In Kosovo's traditional patriarchal society, few women work outside the home and until now, no women worked in this internationally male dominated occupation. The sight of the women deminers, long hair peeking out of helmets, has raised a few eyebrows. As one elderly farmer remarked upon seeing them, "My poor dears, you are so beautiful."

A Serbian Ghost Town In Need Of Recovery, Sinisa Malesevic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

All sorts of people are hoping for the demining and reconstruction of Dropci, a "Serb village" approximately 45 kilometers from the municipality of Bihac in Unsko-Sanski Canton, located in the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This area was strategically important during the war, and much was done to protect it, which means there are plenty of mine fields. The few hundred people who lived here before the war (1992-1995) have all left.

The U.S. Humanitarian Demining Program In The Balkans, Matt Murphy

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As a result of years of conflict in the Balkans, countless landmines have been laid in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. Bosnia-Herzegovina's landmine problem is severe, with an estimated 750,000 landmines and an undetermined quantity of unexploded ordnance infesting some 186 square miles of land. These hidden killers have killed and maimed hundreds, vastly impeded the return of refugees to their homes, and hindered international efforts to help people in the region.

The Actuator: Demining Innovations, Lee Felsenstein, Steven E. Saunders

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This approach to humanitarian demining differs from generally accepted methodology. It has not yet been tried, and the purpose of this article is to ensure that the general concept is placed in the public domain, where it may be debated and modified without considerations of intellectual property. Interval Research Corporation, where this idea originated, is not in the business of mine clearance, or of manufacturing mine clearance systems, so the idea is being passed along to the community best capable of analyzing it.

Developing New Technology For Humanitarian Demining, Russell Gasser, Terry Thomas

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Despite the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars on high-tech research over the last few years, local humanitarian deminers still use traditional prodders and metal detectors. The biggest recent technical innovation has been mechanical vegetation clearance which was mostly developed in the field and bypassed the research route.

Knights In Armored Vehicles: The Halo Trust In The Caucasus, Richard Boulter

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The demise of the Soviet Union and the resultant rush to establish claims over disputed areas and to assert ethnic identity led to a widespread call to arms. Nowhere was this more the case than in the Caucasus. T he former southern Caucasian "soviets" of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia have all asserted their independence from Russia and all have witnessed bloodshed resulting from inter-ethnic fighting. In the north Caucasus there has been fighting in Dagestan, lngushetia, North Ossetia and most notably in Chechnya. The virtual abandonment of former weapons stockpiles accompanied by some very definite mischief by the departing Russian …

Road Trip With A Minecat, Stephanie Schlosser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In The Journal of Mine Action 3.2, we spotlighted the Compact 230-Minecat, a multi-role platform suitable for both military and humanitarian applications whose primary role is to be a mine-clearance vehicle. Since that article in the summer of 1999, the Minecat has had a proper education, going through a series of tests in various landscapes and in front of rough judges. Landmine clearing is serious business and before a new piece of equipment can be put on the world market, it has to prove itself in rigorous settings. After all, the real customers in the demining marker are those people …

Notes From The Field: Croatia, Marijana Prevendar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The disintegration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, accelerated by the Communist Party's electoral defeat, spurred the Republic of Croatia to declare its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. As a result, forces from the Republic of Serbia, the largest republic in the former Yugoslavia, launched a campaign to block Croatia's drive for independence. The Croatian Serbs, backed by the Yugoslav government and armed with weapons from the Yugoslavian army, started an armed rebellion against the newly established Croatian government in 1991.