One of the core objectives of mine action is the safe removal and destruction of the remnants of conflict in order to make land safe and accessible, thereby contributing to sustainable development. However, the methods used by mine action organisations can, under certain conditions, represent a risk to the environment, potentially leading to degradation of land through soil degradation, erosion, deforestation and chemical pollution. Mine action organisations therefore need to consider the possible negative impacts of their mine clearance operations to ensure they do no harm, do not lead to longer-term vulnerability or threaten livelihoods and food security and, by mitigating environmental damage, effectively contribute to disaster risk reduction.
The combined use of remotely sensed data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be a sound solution to assess pre-contamination conditions and to monitor both the environmental impact and the effects of mitigation activities.
Category: Environment