1. The mine menace affecting so many countries of the world has common denominators, which provide an environment conducive to common standards and standard operating procedures (SOP) which can be implemented in most situations.

2. Countries affected by mines are generally in a post conflict situation where the existing government is adjusting to the current peace initiatives. Most mine affected countries have been involved in either a protracted civil war or guerrilla war, where standard norms for mine laying and recording were either non-existent or barely usable.

3. The infrastructure of the country is normally destroyed by war, primarily the transportation and communication structures, thus preventing easy access to mine affected areas and passage of information. These long conflicts provided little opportunity for the education system to train proficient technicians in the skills required to undertake mine clearance operations, although considerable expertise exists in the laying of land mines.

4. The perspective of the present paper has been written from experience and documentation from existing mine clearance programmes with the common operational requirements for Mine/UXO survey. Mine/UXO survey is a vital component of an overall Mine/UXO Clearance Programme, and must be linked to mine marking, mine awareness, training and clearance activities.

5. The aim of the present paper is to provide a platform for discussion to create an international standard for Mine/UXO Survey with a view to establishing a flexible Mine Survey Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which can be adapted to conform with unique environments affecting mine polluted countries.

6. The purpose of a survey is to establish the scope of the mine problem affecting a country in sufficient detail to enable a Mine/UXO Clearance Programme to plan and conduct mine clearance operations. Mine/UXO Survey is a process which extends throughout a Mine/UXO Clearance Programme from the initial start up to the completion of Mine/UXO clearance operations. This can be broken down into three specific functions: information gathering of Mine/UXO affected areas, a detailed survey and marking of mined areas, and recording of completed mine clearance operations.

Level 1 Survey (Information Gathering)
7. Level 1 Survey is an information gathering process designed to collect information on the general locations of mined areas. Information gathering is intended to identify critical criteria, (1) where are the hazardous Mine/UXO affected areas; and (2) where are areas not affected by Mine/UXO problems. The Level 1 survey establishes high risk and low risk areas in which further planning can be developed for the deployment of Level 2 Detailed Survey and Marking Teams. Each has equal importance in assessing the mine/UXO problem and enabling a Mine Clearance Programme to set priorities, resource levelling to eradicate the mine problem in a systematic manner. The creation of an information gathering organization with the capability to collect, collate and analyse Mine/UXO data both in the field and at a centralized mine database is vital to this process.

Level 2 Survey (Detailed Mined Area Survey and Marking)
8. Level 2 Survey is the detailed investigation of suspected mined areas located during the Level 1 Survey. This type of survey involves the probing of the suspected area to establish it's true boundaries and mark the perimeter. It requires the skills of specially trained mine clearance technicians with survey skills to record accurately their work. The record of the surveyed and marked minefield is placed in the mine database, and the marked perimeter becomes the start line for future mine clearance operations.

Level 3 Survey (Minefield Clearance Recording)
9. Level 3 Survey is the follow-up survey procedures to record accurately areas cleared by mine clearance teams to provide a permanent record of their activities and record accurately the area which has been cleared.

10. Information gathering must begin at the governmental level in collecting mine laying information from a variety of sources, which include military, police, hospitals, prosthesis centres, aid agencies and non-governmental organizations.

11. Military. The existence of recorded data on mine laying operations is normally non-existent or generally inaccurate in nature. However the collection and recording of existing military records, operational maps, logistic reports, ammunition depots, mine and munition types etc. is vital in the collection process. This information can be obtained from all levels of the existing military structure down to field units deployed in affected areas. Information may be recorded or by soldiers' first-hand knowledge of mine laying operations and their location.

12. Civil. The same process can be applied to the government structure and must extend down to the provincial and district level with the same intensity of investigating all possible sources of information. These sources can include hospital data on mine casualties, population data, transportation data etc. Once the picture of where the affected areas are located further investigation can proceed to the village/hamlet level to collect first-hand information on mined areas.

13. Geographic. All forms of geographic and topographical data are vital to the planning and analysis process. The incorporation of this data in the survey process is required to plan survey operations and subsequent mine clearance operations. Soil maps, hydrology, road and bridge and agricultural are just some examples of data which must be included in the survey plan to establish priority areas.

14. Social economic. In the conduct of Level 1 Survey, the social economical impact of mines and UXOs must be evaluated. The collection of information on numbers of casualties and loss of livestock, denial of vital life-saving necessities, such as water and firewood, are key to selecting priority clearance operations in key locations.

15. Technical Mine/UXO Data. Information collected from military sources on mines and munition types and verified in the field must be centralized in the mine database. This information is vital to establish the level of the mine threat (types of mines, particularly hard-to-find mines) and the terrain threat in which certain types of mines in difficult terrain, that is, jungle with Laterite soils, will create the direction for the developing of mine clearance drills and the selection of the appropriate mine clearance equipment to allow safe operations in unique environments.

16. All information obtained regardless of the source must be assessed for its accuracy and veracity. This procedure must be implemented at both the field level and the central level at the mine database. Any information received on the probable location of land mines must be taken seriously and investigated by a Level 1 Survey team.

Information Classification
17. Information must be classified in a simple clear manner in which field operators and mine database personnel can assess it's value and assign a priority to a mined area for further detailed survey or clearance operations. Listed below is a sample of information classification. Any information received would be generally classed as high risk areas. Areas in which no mine or UXO information is received would be considered low risk areas.

M1- Verified observation of a mined area with physical evidence of the existence of mines or UXOs.
M2- Reported mined area from a reliable source with observed evidence of mine indicators in the suspect area.
M3- Reported mined area from unreliable sources with observed evidence of mine indicators in the suspect area.
M4- Reported mined area from unreliable sources without any indications of the presence of mines or UXOs in the suspect area.

17. Before survey operations can be undertaken standards must be set for the recording of information so that it will be in a usable format for analysis. Records must be kept in both written, graphic, and digital formats so information can be transferred both by digital means and traditional paper means to operators in the field and planners at the central level.

18. Reference Sources. Maps are the key element in providing location data on suspected mined areas. Therefore maps with the most detailed accurate topographical relief must be obtained and selected as the standard for recording of mined areas. The scale, map series and date of production must be clearly identified as the standard for the survey.

19. Measurement. Based on reference sources and methodology of the conduct of the survey, measurement criteria must be standardized. The decision to utilize metric or imperial measurement, degrees versus mils, metres versus paces at every stage of survey must be standardized, including measurement calculations. All measurements must be compatible with digitization of the data for transfer to the mine database.

20. Measurement Equipment. A variety of measurement equipment is required to record accurately mined area data. This includes compasses, protractors, GPS, rangefinders, binoculars, cameras etc. In each case the equipment must be selected to provide the greatest degree of accuracy and reliability to the field operator. This equipment must be given clear application rules to ensure the correct usage for properly recording data. For example, the use of GPS in plotting turning points in a minefield can give constantly changing readings of up to 100m differences. In this case GPS would only be used in plotting prominent landmarks and used as a navigational aid.

21. Reporting. Reporting formats must be standardized at all three levels of survey. Example formats should be available to the survey team so that all sources of information are sought out and accurately recorded. These records should be recorded on durable material which can endure the elements. Records such as sketches, map overlays and mine field records must be drawn to scale. Information gathered must be recorded in a detailed written format. In addition a simple question/answer format must be established so as the information can be easily transferred into a standard database for analysis.

22. Supporting a Survey operation over the length of an entire country - regardless of the size - is a difficult undertaking. Coupled with the environment of destroyed transportation, communication and medical infrastructures makes this task a challenge indeed. The bases for all survey operations should be the creation of mobile, self-sufficient teams, which should be able to operate over a fixed period of time without direct support. Naturally each country scenario will be different; however, basic principles for deployment can be followed in most environments.

23. Transportation. Survey Teams should be transported in four-wheel drive vehicles, reinforced with mine resistant armour to protect passengers.

24. Communications. Survey Teams should be equipped with modern HF and VHF mobile communication equipment to maintain contact with each other, with Survey Coordinators and to have the ability to call for medical assistance should the need arise.

25. Medical. Team members must be trained in standard first aid, including immediate treatment of trauma casualties. The team must be equipped with a para-medic medical kit fitted out with the appropriate treatment kits to sustain a traumatic casualty over an extended period of time.