Mines may be laid by hand or “seeded” from an aircraft or by artillery. Once the mines have been activated they become extremely dangerous. Mines are often buried or hidden so as not to be detected and may be laid in regular patterns around a village, along a road, on bridges, near single trees or along river banks. They may also be laid at random, without a map or plan of any sort. Many mines float so that after heavy rains they are found in unexpected locations. Mines continue to be dangerous even if they have been in the ground a long time. As time goes by, they may explode more easily as they become corroded or fragile.
Currently, it is estimated that there are 110 million anti-personnel mines laid in about 68 countries, most of them in the developing world. Another 100 million remain in national stockpiles. Every year, 2 million new mines are laid. Mine clearance operations account for the removal of no more than approximately 100,000 mines a year. In other words, for every mine cleared, twenty new mines are laid.
Presently, mines are detected individually by prodding, metal detection or sniffer dogs. Prodding is slow, confusing and dangerous, especially when the mines are laid in hard-packed or stony soil, or when they are fitted with anti-disturbance fuses. Metal detection works well with metal-cased mines, but metal in modern mines has been increasingly replaced by plastic. New mines will soon be undetectable by their metallic content.
Manual mine clearance is obviously dangerous and requires well-trained personnel. Currently, accidents occur at a rate of one for every 2,000 mines destroyed. Though new technology is vital to improving mine clearance, there has been little research done and even fewer advances made since 1942.
Dogs can detect the vapor coming from the explosive filling of mines, but they are temperamental, require long training and tire quickly. Dogs have been involved in the clearance of mines in Afghanistan since 1989.The dog project expanded from 14 to 100 dogs. The dogs, working in pairs, or “sets” as they are known, check  all ground in a systematic search pattern that considers all the factors of concern to the deminer such as vegetation, wind and damp soils. No deminer walks on ground that has not been checked by at least two dogs. Dogs are not the answer
to all demining problems, but they are a useful tool to a well-balanced approach to demining. They are more than just a friend; they are a lifesaver.
- What are some of the obstacles that make mine clearance such an overwhelming task?
- Briefly outline the three major approaches to mine clearance which are described in this article. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these approaches?
- Select one of the countries listed below:
Croatia
Cambodia
Mozambique
Laos
By explroing the UN web-site on landmines (http://www.un.org/Depts/Landmine/), prepare a current status report for your classmates. These reports may be presented orally in groups or in panel presentations. An additional resource for country reports can be found in the Landmines Newsletter, located on the same site.
|
