Why link mine action with development?
In many countries, landmines and ERW are not just a humanitarian concern. They also impede reconstruction and development efforts by:
- Threatening community safety
- Hindering the safe return of IDPs and refugees to their communities
- Damaging infrastructure essential for economic development: roads, bridges, market facilities, factories and public transport vehicles
- Limiting access to health care, education and other basic social services
- Preventing the use of key assets vital to economic survival, e.g. agricultural, grazing and commercial land and water and irrigation channels
- Undermining food security
- Deterring investment and economic development
For example, in Yemen, landmines and ERW resulting from several internal conflicts continue to threaten livelihoods. Over 5,000 mine/ERW-related casualties have taken place over the past 10 years. The majority of the victims have been farmers, herders and children. Mines and ERW block access to natural and physical assets, such as farm land, roads and footpaths. Infrastructure development is delayed. And social development projects in vulnerable mine-affected communities are discouraged.
The main focus of mine action during the early years was on clearing mines/ERW safely and efficiently to meet the basic security needs of IDPs, refugees and humanitarian aid workers. Less attention was paid to investigating which hazards pose the greatest danger to communities and their livelihoods, or to coordinating interventions with humanitarian and development actors to enhance the developmental effectiveness of mine action.
As emergencies ended and mine-affected countries stabilised, they began to focus on post-conflict reconstruction and development. Mine action officials and practitioners often had difficulties making the same shift: from humanitarian mine action to mine action in support of post-conflict reconstruction, and eventually, development.
Mine action programmes were not, and often still aren’t linked early and strongly enough with key development actors. There are many reasons for this. A lack of practical guidance for practitioners and policy makers on how to link mine action with development has further hampered efforts.
For additional background on LMAD, see:
