New mine ban treaty action plan would be another step forward for environmental mainstreaming

A persistent threat

Some 237 km² of land was cleared of anti-personnel (AP) mines in 2023: the highest clearance output ever recorded. But with escalating conflicts, constrained resources and the accelerating climate crisis, clearance needs and challenges are growing. And in spite of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), mines continue to be manufactured and laid – this includes the disturbing US decision to approve the supply of “non-persistent” landmines to Ukraine¹

During 2023, around 85% of all clearance work took place in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Croatia and Iraq. Each is experiencing challenges from climate change and environmental pressures but Afghanistan, Cambodia and Iraq all rank particularly high with respect to their climate vulnerability and limited adaptation capacity.

In total, 58 countries and two territories remain contaminated with AP mines, and there are significant funding gaps.² In more than a quarter of countries with AP contamination, no clearance was reported during 2023. Of those states party to the APMBC, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq and Ukraine are massively contaminated,³ although the full extent of Ukraine and Iraq’s contamination remains unknown.

Progress and planning for action

The clearance and destruction of AP mines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) can result in adverse environmental effects if improperly managed. Meanwhile, climate change and extreme weather can negatively impact both mine action programmes and the communities where activities are taking place.

The draft action plan for this month’s Fifth Review Conference in Siem Reap provides a five-year implementation road map for states party to the APMBC. For the first time in the APMBC’s history, the action plan incorporates environmental and climate change considerations. Their comprehensive inclusion into both the draft action plan and conference’s political declaration is very welcome. Members of the Environmental Issues and Mine Action (EIMA) working group advocated for their inclusion environment and it is a critical step towards ensuring that the implementation of the APMBC aligns with global efforts to protect the environment and address the risks from climate change.

Conflict-affected countries are often the most vulnerable to climate change, for example through land degradation. This means that mine action must adapt and remain capable of delivering effective and climate-resilient programmes, both in terms of how operations are delivered, and for how vulnerable communities are supported.

Ahead of the conference, Mine Action Review has published Environmental Protection in Mine Action: A Review of Good Policy and Practice, which is intended to support the development of sound policies, to showcase practical case studies and support greater donor engagement. As well as emphasising the need for comprehensive environmental policies, the report advocates for dedicated environmental focal points within mine action programmes, and for building partnerships and collaborations with environmental experts and local communities. This aligns with the newly updated International Mine Action Standard (IMAS) 07.13 Environmental management and climate change in mine action, which requires mine action to consider opportunities that could benefit local communities and support nature and nature-based solutions following the release of land.⁴

Practical measures already underway include examples from national NGOs, such as the Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines, which is working with local recycling partners to bolster good waste management practices. Elsewhere, mine action operators including Apopo, DanChurchAid, Danish Refugee Council, FSD, Mines Advisory Group, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) and The HALO Trust, are implementing measures such as estimating carbon footprints, introducing greenhouse gas reduction targets, using environmental screening and assessment tools, using alternatives to plastic sandbags, removing invasive species, planting native trees and mangroves, and developing community engagement on conservation projects. Mine action is also becoming more visible at meetings of environmental treaty bodies, such as those on nature and climate; for example at COP29 in Baku there were fringe events on the issue in the context of climate finance.

Siem Reap spotlight on environmental activities

At the Siem Reap conference, CEOBS will join EIMA working group colleagues to help raise awareness and increase engagement across the mine action sector. There will also be a dedicated EIMA booth for conference attendees to learn more about its work, to share ideas or raise environmental issues that we can explore. Attendees will be able to hear more about the Green Field Tool (GFT) — an environmental assessment and screening tool that has been developed by NPA and CEOBS — that will be made available to the sector in March 2025. The GFT is supported by an open source data platform to help users navigate available environmental data (beta version). Development of GFT has been supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK FCDO.

An FCDO-sponsored side event will also allow EIMA members to showcase examples of some of the diverse work being undertaken, and the ambitions and opportunities available across mine action. Joint statements delivered by EIMA members during the conference will be posted here.

Into 2025 and beyond     

There is sector-wide momentum on the environment but much remains to be done. Whether it’s implementing the action plan and IMAS 07.13, or building effective local partnerships, flexible financial resources that support the integration of environmental and climate goals in mine action programmes are vital. Innovative financing routes may also be needed. The Common Principles for Effective Climate Finance and Action for Relief, Recovery, and Peace were launched at COP29 and set out a vision for effective climate action, emphasising the need for initiatives that are locally-led and tailored to local needs. Approaches like these could help inform climate conscious and sensitive mine action.

Research gaps also remain on mine action, climate and the environment. In February 2025 Dr. Sarah Njeri from SOAS University of London is co-convening a workshop in collaboration with the NPA Vietnam. The event will bring together academics and mine action practitioners to take stock, identify knowledge gaps and inform an interdisciplinary research agenda.

When we work together, better climate and environmental outcomes are possible. We encourage all interested states, organisations or individuals to join the EIMA working group and to help us build partnerships, to develop and share good environmental practice, to strengthen our collective capacity, and to increase awareness and engagement across all stakeholders.

 

Linsey Cottrell is CEOBS’ Environmental Policy Officer; CEOBS has been working with NPA to mainstream the environment in mine action since 2018.