NPA has been running its Mine Action Programme in B&H since 1996. From the beginning the MA Programme worked in the Tuzla area, in support of the NPA Reconstruction Programme. In 1998 the focus shifted to Sarajevo Canton, and most NPA MA assets worked in the Sarajevo Canton from 1998 – 2003, but also in other regions namely Herceg-bosanski Canton, Hercegovacko-Neretvanski Canton and the Republika Srpska. After examining the results of the Landmine Impact Survey conducted in 2003, Bosanska Posavina region seemed as the best alternatives for an operational expansion. From 2004 NPA still works in Sarajevo canton but with focus of operations in the Bosanska Posavina region, combining individual demining tasks with implementation of comprehensive Community based mine action plans including Community Liaison, Technical Survey, Mine Clearance, Mine Risk Education and Permanent Marking of affected communities.
Since 2005, NPA supported B&H Mine Action Centre through the secondment of General Survey Teams which contributed significantly to the overall process conducting identification of mine suspected areas, their assessment and creating new projects for Technical Survey and Mine Clearance tasks.
In November 2007 NPA Mine Action Programme in B&H has started with one year Cluster Survey project in Serbia, in order to complete general assessment of cluster situation in Serbia. Through these activities NPA B&H will support national capacities for future mine action intervention in Serbia.|
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A total of 133 people are currently employed in NPA in B&H. The programme consists of 6 Manual demining teams, 2 mine detection dog teams (with 8 accredited dogs), a mechanical demining team (with 4 different types of mechanical ground preparation machines), 6 medical teams, 2 EOD teams, 5 General survey teams and 1 Community Liaison /Mine risk education Team.
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From 1996 to 2007, NPA conducted demining operations on 230 locations, including Mine Clearance, Technical Survey and Permanent Marking with the following results: 3.55 square kilometers of hazardous area released through mine clearance operations; 5.19 square kilometers of hazardous area released through technical survey operations and 340 houses cleared of mines and ERW including 14 apartment buildings. A total of 2,670 anti-personnel mines and 67 anti-tank mines have been neutralized on NPA demining sites. Beside landmines 4,416 items of ERW have been neutralized and destroyed. Additionally, NPA EOD teams destroyed 1,660 anti-personnel mines, 293 anti-tank mines and 32,986 items of ERW as support to B&H Civil protection and other demining organizations. In the beginning of 2007 NPA contribution to the total demining resources in Bosnia and Herzegovina are: 10.7% of all mine clearance machines, 6.14% of all metal detectors, 9.62% of all mine detections dogs and about 10% of human resources. Comparing the level of NPA resources with the recent contribution of 18% in the implementation of the annual demining plan, NPA represent an important and stable mine action capacity in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Mine detection dog teams |
Manual clearance teams |
Mechanical preparation teams |
Support teams |
Click on images to find more about NPA teams
The primary donor for Norwegian People's Aid Mine Action Programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina is Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition the Governments of Canada, Austria, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Brcko District Bosnia and Herzegovina and many other countries and humanitarian organizations have funded the programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
