Does Mine Action need New Technology or are We able to Fight the Mine Problem with the Current Techniques?

Author/Origin: Steinar Essén steinar.essen@npaid.org

(Thursday 20 September 2001 Managua - Nicaragua)

Third meeting of State Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and
on their Destruction.
Managua, 18-21 September 2001.

Intervention by Steinar Essén on behalf of the Mine Action Working Group of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Research and Development (R&D) communities have over the last decade wasted millions of US dollars in the search for new and more sophisticated tools to speed up demining.

Despite all the efforts, no new technology of any significance has been introduced to the field. This lack of practical impact of R&D has also been recognised by one of its major player – ISPRA, the European based research centre for demining technologies.

The core capacities in demining are manual deminers, mechanical mine clearance machines and mine detection dogs. The humanitarian mine action (HMA) organisations in the field are still using these old, but proven techniques.

So, has all the R&D efforts been a waste of time and resources?

There are a number of good initiatives that will benefit HMA in a short to medium time perspective. However, most of the efforts simply do not meet the three main criteria’s to operationalise mine clearance tools; they must be affordable, adaptable and manageable in the field.

Hand held multi-sensor for example, has been a focus area for a number of research institutions. After years of research and millions of dollar spent, an operational hand held multi-sensor has still not seen the light of day. The benefit from such a tool is also questionable. We still have to identify the boundaries of the suspected mine field, we still have to clear the vegetation and we still have to physically remove the mine.

A hand held multi-senor detector; How will the sustainability of such a tool be? What is the level of competence needed to operate the detector? What will the price be? Is it rigid enough to survive the hostility of a typical mine field?

Another example is air-born mine detection. This tool is hardly affordable, neither manageable by the field operators. In contrary, this cost-intensive tool undermines the goal to put the mine-affected countries in a position to solve the mine problem by their own.

We still need R&D initiative, but their work should be coordinated and more focused on operational needs.

So, where should the focus be in the years to come?

The overall funds available for mine action are split between the support to HMA operators in the field, R&D initiatives and advocacy work. Are the slices in this cake of a desired proportion?

As a representative for the mine action working group, I would like to see a larger slice of the cake dedicated for the organisations physically working in the field.

We have achieved a lot with the current techniques. The number of mine accidents has been reduced significantly during the last years. In Kosovo for example, the mine action organisations are now close to eliminate the mine threat. In Mozambique, the number of high impact tasks has been reduced steadily and the number of accidents are now on a minimum using manual deminers, supported by mechanical mine clearance machines and dogs.

Demining organisations welcomes tools that easier can pinpoint the exact position of a mine (as the hand held multi-sensor), but the biggest challenge is to find an area reduction tool. We need a tool that can tell us where the mines are not.

We believe that there should be stronger focus on improving the equipment and techniques currently in use. Norwegian People’s Aid and other demining organisations have doubled and tripled its output in regards to square meters cleared over the last years by focusing on improving the techniques and tools we have available today. A lot of efforts have been put into integrating the existing capacities, manual-mechanical-dogs into a toolbox concept. But, there still is a potential to optimise the approach further and we need the R&D communities to assist us with this important work.

We believe that the current techniques will continue to be the backbone of mine action in the years to come. We therefore challenge you to make a stronger and more long term commitment to humanitarian mine action, to ensure that HMA in the field receives a larger slice of the cake.

We have the means to win the battle, but we need your continued support.

Thank you.