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Body Protection Systems For Use In Humanitarian Demining: Applying Hard Science And End-User Feedback To Improve Personal Protection For Deminers, Richard L'Abbe, Aris Makris, Derrick Poon Young

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Somewhere between the tightening budgets of program managers, myriad of demining activities, and fatigue among donors, lies a life-threatening issue which receives limited attention within the hierarchy of themes defining humanitarian demining. According to a large cross-section of deminers around the world, personal protection for deminers is considered a poor second cousin to such themes as mine awareness and victim assistance. They say the issue of improving personal protection needs to be pushed higher up the demining agenda.

The Swedish Mine Fighter, An Interview With Mattias Willersjo, Catherine Harrigan, Mattias Willersjo

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While mechanical mine clearance machines are regarded as an important part of the mine clearance effort, most experts agree that there is no one machine capable of clearing land mines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO) to the 99.6% clearance standard recommended by the United Nations. Acknowledging this problem, but still recognizing the potential benefits of mechanical mine clearance machines, many field experts advocate a "toolbox" approach to mine clearance, using various mechanical mine clearance machines in tandem with manual mine clearance to achieve the 99.6% clearance standard.

Humanitarian Demining And Robotics, Y. Baudoin, M. Acheroy, M. Piette, J.P. Salmon

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines were used for the first time during the American Civil War in the United States (1861-1865). Anti-tank mines were later ameliorated and laid on the battlefields of the First World War. Mine clearing operations did not pose major problems with those visible and easy-to-detect anti-tank mines. The reason why Anti-personnel mines have been conceived and systematically used on the anti-tank minefields during the Second World War was because such mines prevented the enemy from easy demining of the defense system.

The $64,000 Question: How Are We Going To Remove All Landmines In Ten Years?, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Thorsten Peter, of Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellscaft, manufacturers of the MINEBREAKER 2000 offers insight into the challenges of mechanical landmine clearance. "Humanitarian demining has to be accelerated. We can't go on at the pace we are presently going. It will simply take too long." -Mr. Thorsten Peter.

Magnetic Fragment Collection, James Trevelyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In a typical manual mine clearance operation, deminers often spend nearly all of their time finding metal fragments in the search for anti-personnel mines. Often there is too much metal to be able to use metal detectors: then the deminers have to probe an entire minefield by hand, every 25 - 50 mm apart, or even dig through thousands of square metres of ground by hand.

To Walk The Earth In Safety 1st Edition (Fy1998), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

To Walk the Earth in Safety. The United States Commitment to Humanitarian Demining informs the reader about the U.S. commitment to rid the world by the year 2010 of anti-personnel landmines (APL) which pose a threat to civilians. The most recent U.S. Government survey identified 93 countries affected with either an APL, or an unexploded ordnance (UXO) problem, or both. Although the estimates regarding the number of mines implanted in each country vary widely among sources, the U.S. estimate of APL infestation is approximately 60-70 million worldwide. This report covers FY1998.

Peacetrees Vietnam's Uxo Clearance Training Mission To Quang Tri Province, Roger Hess

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The president of UXB International, Dr. Richmond Dugger, had offered to help out an NGO called PeaceTrees Vietnam with their efforts to clear land mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the former demilitarized zone between what was North & South Vietnam. We would conduct a training course for the Vietnamese with UXB International covering the wages and airfare of two senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) employees, and donate five Shonstedt ferrous ordnance detectors.

Opportunities For An Integrated Demining Strategy In Rural Areas, U Weyl

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As early as 1993, GTZ was one of the first organizations to recognize the importance of community mine awareness within the framework of mine survey and clearance operations. GTZ also recognized that there needs to be a partnership between the development organization and mine clearance operator. It is this partnership, which is the foundation upon which the IHDD concept has been built, modified and adapted. The CMAD concept has been developed for those communities that are deemed low priority for mine action support. The process of modification and adaptation has been continuous. It has spanned every facet of the concepts, …

The Operational Implementation Of The International Humanitarian Demining Development Concept, C.J. Pearce

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The International Humanitarian Demining Development (IHHD) concept did not evolve on a haphazard basis. The concept was born out of practical experience in Manica Province, Mozambique during the emergency relief phase between 1993 and 1995. Based on those experiences, and a serious concern that mine clearance was regarded as a purely technical activity with local involvement being relegated to by-stander status, GTZ and Mine-Tech held wide-ranging discussions over a lengthy period before defining the IHDD concept. Subsequently, with funding from the BMZ (German Ministry of Co-operation) two pilot projects were undertaken in Manica and Sofala Provinces, Mozambique. These pilot projects …

Developing And Integrating A Lessons Learned Methodology For Humanitarian Mine Action, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The demand for a centralized lessons learned database has made it clear that there is value in consolidating the experience derived from the numerous de-mining missions by a variety of teams in a variety of countries. Consequently, the James Madison University Mine Action Information Center developed a methodology for collecting, validating, and distributing lessons-learned within the mine action community.

In order to develop this lessons-learned system, individuals involved in the wide spectrum of activities (victim assistance, mine clearance, survey, mine awareness, etc.) and belonging to the myriad agencies (NGOs, military demining, United Nations, MACs, etc.) related to the field of …

A Survey Of Research On Sensor Technology For Landmine Detection, Claudio Bruschini, Bertrand Gros

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to official figures, more than 100 million landmines lie buried around the world. Although intended for warfare, these mines remain active after warfare ends. Each day these mines are triggered accidentally by civilian activities, ravaging the land and killing or maiming innocent people. To help stop this destruction of the environment and humanity, the scientific community must develop effective humanitarian demining. Mine detection is especially vital to humanitarian demining. The goal of military demining is to clear enough mines quickly to allow troops through a land area. Military demining usually requires mine destruction rates of 80%. The goal of …

Data Standardization, Thomas Powell

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As the international community has placed increasing emphasis on efforts to identify, classify, neutralize, or remove landmines or other unexploded ordnance (UXO), the need to communicate information concerning the location, description, and hazards associated with these munitions has become apparent. Numerous database structures have been created to store information about the various munitions. However, different organizations, countries, or individuals have adopted their own unique data definitions and database structures, and these differences could affect the kinds of information available through these sources.

Trials Of The Ced Air-Spade, Kandahar, Afghanistan, July 1998, Andy Smith, U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development

Global CWD Repository

This document summarizes the field trials of the CEG AIR-SPADE held in Kandahar, Afghanistan in July 1998.

Report On The Detec-2 Testing In Cambodia November 18-21, 1997, Jean-Daniel Nicoud, Frédéric Guerne, John Brooks

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The 2-year DeTec-2 project started at the end of 1995 as a continuation of our 1994-95 work on the Pemex demining robot to evaluate an antipersonnel mine sensor that is based on a combination of a metal detector (MD) and a ground-penetrating radar (GPR). The ERA radar was selected in early 1996, and we used the Schiebel, Förster and Ebinger metal detectors. We built a laboratory sandbox to evaluate the sensors under controlled conditions with the ultimate objective of conducting tests on a real minefield before the end of the project.

Humanitarian Demining Technology Program Antipersonnel Mine Neutralization Device Test Report, Christopher Wanner

Global CWD Repository

The Antipersonnel Mine Neutralization Device (APMINUD) is a mechanical system for safely detonating Antipersonnel mines as part of a peace time mine clearance operation. It is intended to be used in conjunction with a shielded, all terrain vehicle with hydraulic crane. The system would be used to neutralize previously marked AP mines by detonating them one at a time.

The plunger inside the APMINUD is designed to strike the ground when released by the operator. An expendable foot on the plunger applies approximately two tons of impact force over a 10" diameter area when released. The impact force pushes the …

The U.S. Department Of Defense And The Role Of The Journal Of Humanitarian Demining, Robert L. Cowles

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Department of Defense (DoD) Humanitarian Demining program would like to thank the staff at James Madison University's Humanitarian Demining Information Center (HDIC) for creating the inaugural issue of The Journal of Humanitarian Demining.

Task 1c3 Humanitarian Demining Requirement Analysis Final Report, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The Humanitarian Demining Information Center (HDIC) at James Madison University is developing a plan for identifying, analyzing, enhancing, and disseminating electronic and hard copy information relating to humanitarian demining. The first step toward realizing this objective was identifying the information needs, information availability and optimal methods for organizing and delivering information to the humanitarian demining community.

Broadly conceived, the humanitarian demining community consists of ten components.

• U.S. government agencies that have as part of their mission the development of programs for humanitarian demining in selected countries • volunteer organizations that are directly involved in the task of humanitarian demining …

Lao Pdr National Unexploded Ordnance (Uxo) Programme, Ian Mansfield

Global CWD Repository

A brief country report from Laos and its contamination of UXO left following the Second Indochina War.

The Norwegian People's Aid Mine Clearance Project In Cambodia, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

The objective of this report is to assess the project results of NPA in Cambodia and their use of costs and resouces. A further objective is to provide a quantitative review of the extension of demining for NPA's mine clearance project from 1992 to 1996. The report focuses on demining, mine awareness, training, capacity building and funding.

Landmines In Mozambique, Human Rights Watch

Global CWD Repository

In spite of the peace accord signed in October 1992 between government forces and RENAMO rebels, innocent civilians are maimed and killed by landmines in Mozambique on a daily basis. In spite of the peace accord signed in October 1992 between government forces and RENAMO rebels, innocent civilians are maimed and killed by landmines in Mozambique on a daily basis. To date, these weapons have claimed more than 10,000 victims — mostly civilians — and the casualty toll could increase rapidly as millions of refugees and displaced people return home to roads and fields littered with mines. Landmines were used …

Evaluation Of The Mine Clearance Programme In Afghanistan, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

This report, prepared by two independent experts at the request of the Personal Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, contains the experts' conclusions. They reviewed all aspects of the mine action programme in Afghanistan and showed particular interest to the impact and cost effectiveness of the programme. The experts also examined whether the programme was technically appropriate.

Linking Mine Action To Development Programming, Handicap International Canada

Global CWD Repository

Summary Report of the Handicap International Canada Symposium on Linking Mine Action to Development Programming

Evaluation Of The Netherland's Financial Assistance For Humanitarian Demining Activities In 1996-2006 Bosnia Herzegovina, Russell Gasser, Jacqueline Dees, Ferko Ory

Global CWD Repository

This report presents the findings of the evaluation mission conducted from 14-29 June 2007. Meetings were held with key stakeholders and field visits were made throughout the territory of BiH. Because the bulk of the Dutch money went to capacity-building, the evaluation team visitied six of the regional offices of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre (BHMAC) and meetings were held with the local staff. Additionally the team visited 5 sites cleared with Dutch money because, although clearance was only a minor part in the total funding of Humanitarian Mine Action in BiH.