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Documentof The World Bank Public Disclosure Authorized Report No. T-6933-BIH TECHNICAL ANNEX Public Disclosure Authorized BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA EMERGENCYLANDMINES CLEARANCEPROJECT Public Disclosure Authorized JULY 9, 1996 Public Disclosure Authorized BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA EMERGENCY LANDMINES CLEARANCE PROJECT TECHNICAL ANNEX CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Unit of Currency: Bosnia and Herzegovina Dinar (BHD) BHD 100.00 = US$ 0.67 (as of June 14, 1996) US$1.00 = BHD 148.8 (as of June 14, 1996) ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS BH - Bosnia and Herzegovina EU - European Union EOD - Explosive Ordnance Disposal FBH - Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross IDA - International Development Association IFOR - Implementation Force (NATO) MAC - Mine Action Center MCPG - Mine Clearance Policy Group (under JCC/OHR) MPRA Mine Protection and Removal Agency (national level) MSPE - Ministry of Spacial Planning and Environment (FBH) OHR - Office of the High Representative PIU - Project Implementation Unit RS - Republika Srpska UN - United Nations UNPF - United Nations Protection Force UNHCR - United Nations High Commission for Refugees USG - United States Government UXO - Unexploded ordnance FISCAL YEAR January I to December31 FOR OFFICIALUSE ONLY BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA EMERGENCY LANDMINES CLEARANCE PROJECT TECHNIICALANNEX Table of Contents A. Background ..................................................................... 1I The extent of landmine contamination..................................................................... 1I Current mine-clearing activity..................................... 1-.I Existing institutions and landmine-clearing capacity...................................... 2 Consequences for reconstruction and recovery ...................................... 2 B. Strategy to Clear Landmines ....................................... 3 Reconstruction and the landmine program..................................... 3 Coordinated international response..................................... 4 C. First Year Program .................................... 5 Program objectives ..................................... 5 Program description ..................................... 5 Setting up institutional structure ..................................... 6 Protecting vulnerable population groups ..................................... 7 Increasing local mine-clearing capacity ..................................... 8 Priority mine clearing..................................... 9 Program costs and financing.................................... 10 D. Project Implementation ..................................... 11 Institutional arrangements ..................................... 11 Agreements reached.................................... 12 Procurement, accounts, and reporting.................................... 14 E. Appendices 1. Notes on Mine Clearing Techniques and Technology 2 Institutional Structure for Mine Clearance 3. Implementation Schedule 4. Lessons from Mine Clearance Programs 5. Draft Terms of Reference for a Pilot Project 6 Preliminary Mineclearing Program for Major Infrastructure 7. Procurement Arrangements 8. Draft Terms of Reference for Quality Assurance 9. Estimated Program Cost and Financing Plan 10. Technical Specifications for Mineclearing. 11. Responsibilities for Setting Priorities and Project Implementation This documenthas a restricteddistribution and maybe usedby recipientsonly in the performanceof their officialduties. Its contentsmnay not otherwise be disclosed wUhout World Bank authorization. I BOSNIAAND HERZEGOVINA EMERGENCYLANDMINES CLEARANCE PROJECT TECHNICALANNEX A: BACKGROUND The extent of landmine contamination 1. Landmine contamination is a problem for all aspects of reconstruction and community development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mines have been used by all sides during more than three years of violent conflict, and are, in general, likely to be found in a band of contamination about 5 km wide along former confrontation lines. Estimates of the number of landmines range from 1.5 million to 3 million. Nearly all of the mines are of ex-Yugoslavian origin, and many are made mostly of plastic, making them difficult to detect and likely to remain dangerous for as long as a century. The region is also littered with unused bulk ammunition, much of which is now in very poor condition. All areas that were considered strategically significant are potential sites for mines, including roads and mountain trails, roads, bridges, railways, forests, villages, and agricultural land. Mines have been used to deny access to facilities of all kinds, and to hinder the reconstruction of roads and bridges, and the restoration of power supplies, water, gas and railways. Many of the existing minefield maps and records are unreliable, many minefields have not been mapped, and some areas have been mined and re-mined by both sides, in patterns which make subsequent detection difficult. Furthermore, mines move with soil erosion and mines laid near rivers will eventually float in the water; thus mines laid near rivers will eventually be washed downstream into previously uncontaminated areas. Clearing all the mines will take years, probably decades, and will be very costly. 2. UNHCR carried out a general needs assessment survey in June 1994 in 41 communities in nine regions of Central Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bihac (covering about 20,000 people in about 5,000 households). Results of the survey show landmine incidents in 36 of the communities, the highest in Zenica. More than 12% of households were affected in Gornji Vakuf, Vares and Zenica; and agricultural production was affected in 17 of the 41 communities. Access to land in these areas is estimated to have been reduced by 20 to 50% because of mines. Current mine clearing activity. 3. Under the Dayton Agreement, the ex-combatants are required to clear their own minefields from the Zone of Separation (ZOS) or other areas from which their forces are withdrawn, and to carry out minefield marking. However, complete clearance within the ZOS cannot be accomplished within the Dayton time framework. Priority is being given to mineclearing in support of infrastructure reconstruction needs, but the exercise is unlikely to cover all the priority sites. Until very recently (March, 1996), all areas cleared under the agreement were cleared to military, rather than civilian ('humanitarian'), standards and will require verification (see Appendix 1 -- Notes on Mine Clearing Techniques and Technology). Despite the efforts to date, the majority of mines remain, and a major clearance effort is now required. Some mines remain even in the areas that have been cleared to a military level, and these areas will need verification to bring them to a civilian safety level. -2- Existing institutions and landmine-clearing capacity 4. While the need for mine-clearing is urgent, and precedes the need for infrastructure reconstruction, the institutional arrangements for dealing with this new problem are not yet fully established. The Ministry of Spacial Planning and Environment was designated as the ministry responsible for civilian mine-clearing in the Federation, and a mine-clearing agency has been established for this purpose in RS. A Mine Protection and Removal Agency (MPRA) has recently been established at the state level; initial staff have established a working relationship with the Mine Action Center (MAC, which was established under UN auspices -- paras. 13-15).' Together they should serve as a focus for all mine-related activity in Bosnia until the means and the timing of a complete transition to Bosnian ownership have been worked out. 5. The landmine contamination problem will require a long-term clearance effort involving a large number of mine-clearers, possibly over 2,500. Bosnian UXO disposal experts have been responding to emergency calls throughout the war and the police continue to respond to such calls. There are also soldiers who have military mine-clearing experience. There are, however, very few commercial companies which have all the requirements (technical, managerial, and implementation skills, and capital) that allow them to respond to the need for civilian mine- clearing. (i.e. de-mining to humanitarian standards). Moreover, although the needs are large, resources to turn this need into effective demand are lacking. Consequences for reconstruction and recovery. 6. In all the areas where there have been hostilities, particularly where there has not been continual presence of civilians, there is a risk of accidents and deaths from mines, unexploded ordnance, and booby traps. Booby traps are particularly likely to be found in areas where there has been a transfer of territorial control between ex-combatants, and is of substantial concern in Sarajevo itself. In the absence of comprehensive mine awareness, minefield marking, and mine- clearing, landmine incidents are likely to increase as freedom of movement increases. The return of displaced people and refugees, which is anticipated to gather momentum in the spring, lends added urgency to the problem. The UNHCR's planning figure for assistance during 1996 includes about 870,000 people returning to, or relocating within, Bosnia and Herzegovina during the year. 7. Landmine contamination around major infrastructure facilities is already causing delays in reconstruction. Landmines are suspected in several stretches of power transmission lines, gas lines, on railway lines, along the edges of roads, on and around bridges and