Non-technical survey, prioritisation and land release

Criteria: humanitarian impact (number of people exposed, essential services, livelihoods), likelihood and nature of the threat (evidence, accidents, type of device), feasibility and speed of release, and existence of interim measures.

Ranking: 1. ZD-04: access to water for 1,200 people per day, suspected improvised device, small area (20 days). 2. ZD-01: school, 340 children; weak evidence, so rapid technical survey to reduce the area, then clearance of the confirmed part. 3. ZD-02: recent accidents including a fatal one, 46 households, harvest in 3 months; area can be reduced by technical survey. 4. ZD-06: return of 30 families, but requires a specialised building team; to be assigned to that team from month 2 and coordinated with the authorities to delay returns. 5. ZD-05: large area, weak evidence: additional non-technical survey, possible cancellation. 6. ZD-03: confirmed contamination but no use: marking and fencing, clearance later.

The ranking is validated with the national mine action authority and the communities.

ZD-04: 6,000 / 300 = 20 days. ZD-01 (after technical survey): 3,000 / 300 = 10 days. ZD-02 (after technical survey): the machine prepares 25,000 m² in 25,000 / 2,500 = 10 days, exactly its availability in month 2; manual clearance on prepared ground: 25,000 / 900 = 27.8 days.

Month 1: ZD-04 (days 1 to 20), start of ZD-01 (days 21 and 22, 600 m²). The technical survey team covers ZD-01 then ZD-02. Month 2: end of ZD-01 (2,400 m², 8 days); machine on ZD-02; manual clearance of ZD-02 over 14 days, i.e. 12,600 m². Month 3: end of ZD-02: 12,400 m², 13.8 days, i.e. 14 days; 8 days remain. Total: 20 + 10 + 27.8 = 57.8 days out of 66 available.

Remaining: ZD-03 (marking only), ZD-05 (additional non-technical survey), ZD-06 (building team). The 8 remaining days serve as a margin (weather, security, finds) or to start marking ZD-03. The ZD-02 harvest is possible at the end of month 3, if the technical survey confirms the assumption.

Land release consists of using all reasonable evidence to release land: cancellation through non-technical survey when there is no evidence of contamination, reduction through technical survey, clearance of the confirmed area only. This avoids clearing uncontaminated land.

ZD-04: clearance, 6,000 m². ZD-01: reduction 9,000 m², clearance 3,000 m². ZD-02: reduction 60,000 m², clearance 25,000 m². ZD-05: possible cancellation of the 150,000 m² if the additional survey (interviews with herders, authorities, former combatants, history) finds no evidence. ZD-03 and ZD-06: not released during the period.

End of month 3: cleared 34,000 m²; reduced 69,000 m²; cancelled 0 to 150,000 m² depending on the survey. Total: 103,000 m² without ZD-05, 253,000 m² with it. Each area is formally handed over with a handover certificate signed by the national authority and the communities.

Measures: marking and fencing of confirmed and suspected areas, starting with ZD-04 and ZD-01; temporary route to the borehole or temporary water distribution in coordination with water actors; temporary relocation of school activities to the non-suspected side or adjusted timetables; informing the authorities so as to delay returns to ZD-06; community focal points to report devices; collection of accident data.

Messages: pupils: "If you see an unknown object, don't touch it, move away the same way you came and tell an adult." Herders: "Do not graze your animals beyond the red markers; if an animal enters a marked area, do not follow it and call the focal point." Returning families: "Do not enter your house before it has been declared safe: booby traps may be behind doors, in furniture or under objects."

The messages are tested with the community and adapted to the local language and habits.

I refuse: reporting a reduced area as cleared is inaccurate and contrary to IMAS, which distinguish between cancellation, reduction and clearance. It would be a false statement to the donor and the national authority, and it would distort the national database. Instead, I propose presenting the results by category and explaining to the donor that reduction is an efficiency gain: 85,000 m² released for a clearance cost limited to 25,000 m². If the contractual target is expressed as cleared area, I request that it be revised to area released. I inform management if the pressure continues.