(MENAFN- AzerNews) In ordinary times, Ukrainian farmer Oleksandr Kryvtsov would not
be a viral celebrity. Krystov, frustrated by the fact that much of
his farmland was contaminated with landmines, has taken matters
into his own hands, turning his tractor into a remote-controlled
demining vehicle. Videos and images of his light blue tractor
demining fields near Hrakove, Ukraine went viral earlier this
summer, Azernews reports citing Trend.
As the tide turns against Russia in its war against Ukraine, it
is increasingly relying on massive fields of land mines to prevent
Ukraine from liberating its territory. Today, an area roughly the
size of Florida within Ukraine is contaminated. A large portion of
those landmines are in prime agricultural land whose continued
presence is a hindrance to investment, food security, and a
continuing endangerment to human life.
Ukraine has an ambitiplan to is increasingly turning its
attention to the challenge of de-mining large swathes of the
country to resume agriculture production, with ambitiplans to
de-mine at least the most valuable 470,000 hectares of agricultural
land over the next four years. But by some estimates, landmines
will lay dormant there for decades, if not centuries.
The scale of the problem cannot be underestimated. But another
post-Soviet country, which has been breaking new ground in the face
of a seemingly insurmountable landmine problem, could provide part
of the solution.
Azerbaijan recaptured large swathes of its internationally
recognized territory that had been seized by Armenian separatists
in the closing days of the Soviet Union and occupied for three
decades in 2020.
Like Ukraine, those lands are now heavily contaminated with
Soviet-era landmines. And like Ukraine, that land too has
agricultural potential that Azerbaijan hopes to tap. Thanks to
ongoing de-mining efforts, some 50,000 hectares there were planted
with grain crops last year, according to Azerbaijan's Ministry of
Agriculture.
Azerbaijan has made de-mining a top priority because hundreds of
thousands of former internally displaced people (IDPs) hope to
return to their homes and rebuild ruined towns. The region was once
known for its agricultural products.
This urgent need to de-mine the liberated territories is one of
Azerbaijan's“most important issues” was reiterated by President
Aliyev during an appearance at the Azerbaijan's Global Media Forum
last month. Addressing hundreds of international delegates in the
city of Shusha – itself also in an area still heavily contaminated
by mines – that some 300 Azerbaijanis have been killed or injured
by landmines since Azerbaijani recovered the region. It's a similar
story in Ukraine with a grim twist. According to Save The Children,
an NGO, one in eight of those injured in Ukraine are children.
But one of the biggest hurdles to de-mining is cost. While the
cost of producing a landmine is relatively cheap from $3 to $75
dollars according to the International Red Cross, the cost of
removing a single mine can range from $300 to $1000 dollars.
The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) –
established in 1998 with a mandate to de-mine the country with the
support of the United Nations has developed innovative approaches
to de-mining. Over the years it has also been supported by the U.S.
government. Today the agency is training new volunteers from
amongst IDPs.
“They are clearing their own land,” says Samir Poladov, the
Deputy Chair of ANAMA.“They know they are doing this work for
themselves. Outsourcing the same jobs to foreign companies would
cost 10 times as much.”
ANAMA has also been involved in other projects such as
micro-lending initiatives to help restore the livelihoods of
IDPs.
This is a model that could work well In Ukraine, where many
farmers like Oleksandr Kryvtsov are already taking matters into
their own hands to clear their lands, frustrated by the
painstakingly slow pace of de-mining. In Azerbaijan other
frustrations exist.
“The Armenian authorities have consistently failed or refused to
hand over maps detailing where mines have been laid. Where they
have done so, the maps are incomplete. All too often, our mine
clearance professionals are forced to work with impartial records,
rendering their work even slower and deadlier than it would
otherwise has been.” Armenia has long-denied this charge and the
fate of the maps became tied up in negotiations over POWs from the
2020 conflict.
Azerbaijan has also tapped APOPO to help its fight against
landmines. The organization is a U.S.-registered non-profit with a
headquarters in Tanzania. APOPO is famin the de-mining
community for its use of both dogs and giant African pouched rats
in the demining process. Both animals have sensitive noses which
can be trained to sniff out hints of explosives. Some APOPO rats
have also been trained to sniff out tuberculosis in patients. The
large rats work for peanuts – literally.
“In Azerbaijan, there is a willingness to try new things and
innovative solutions,” said Itamar Levy, a director with APOPO, who
has worked on demining efforts in both Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
This year a Ukrainian mission visited Azerbaijan to better
understand Azerbaijan's approach to de-mining. Middle Eastern
representatives have also visited Azerbaijan to better understand
its mine-clearance strategy. A joint Saud-Azeri company has been
formed to apply Azerbaijan's know-how and technologies in other
parts of the world. Some 61 countries around the world are still
contaminated with landmines - mostly from wars that ended years
ago. In many cases landmines are located in prime agricultural
land. Thus, landmines pose a threat to both human and food security
around the globe.
"Azerbaijan is ready to present a new humanitarian package,
including mine-cleaning equipment. Demining is one of the important
directions of our cooperation with our partners. Ukraine needs to
receive this equipment from its partners. It should also be
production-based in Ukraine so that we can clear our land of
Russian mines," Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky said in an
address thanking Azerbaijan earlier this month.
In both countries however, the battle against landmines will
take years if not decades. In the case of Ukraine some grim
analysts suggest it could take centuries unless new and innovative
solutions are tried to decontaminate the roughly 30% of Ukranian
territory that is currently mined. Yet, in niether country is it an
impossible struggle as both countries are home to diligent
individuals and organizations committed to ensuring farmers like
Oleksandr Kryvtsov