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Arabic-Language Outreach Programme (AOP) Workshop

The Environmental Impact of Landmines/Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Mine Action

in the Arab World

10-12 December 2013 Day1:The Regency Hotel

Day2: Le Royal Hotel

Kuwait

Organized by

Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)Kuwait National Focal Point (KNFP) Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)

Arabic-Language Outreach Programme (AOP) Workshop


in the Arab World

10-12 December 2013Day1:The Regency Hotel

Day2: Le Royal Hotel

Kuwait

Organized by

Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)Kuwait National Focal Point (KNFP) Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)

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WORKSHOP AT A GLANCE

Day I: Tuesday 10 December (Regency Hotel)

09:00 – 09:45 Opening Ceremony

09:45 – 10:00 Coffee break

10:00 – 13:15 Session I: The environmental impact of mine/ERW contamination on terrestrial and marine ecosystems andhuman health

13:15 – 14:30 Lunch

14:30 – 16:30 Session 2: Toxic Remnants of War and environmentalawareness


17:00 – 18:00 Session 3: Challenges of environmental protection in lawsand standards during and after conflicts

19:00 – 21:00 Dinner Banquet

Day 2: Wednesday 11 December (Le Royal Hotel)

09:00 – 11:00 Session 3: (continued) Challenges of environmental protec-tion in laws and standards during and after conflicts


11:30 – 13:00 Session 4: The environmental impact of demining operations

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch


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14:00 – 15:30 Session 5: Operational lessons learnt (case studies)


16:00 – 17:30 Session 6: The environmental impact of stockpile destructionand the importance of Ammunition Safety Management

19:00 – 21:00 Dinner Banquet

Day 3: Thursday 12 December (Le Royal Hotel)

09:00 – 11:00 Session 7: Restoration and treatment of sites affected andcontaminated by mines/ERW


11:30 – 13:00 Session 8: Debate on mine action challenges in the region

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 – 15:30 Session 8: (continued) Debate on mine action challenges inthe region AOP

15:30 – 16:00 Closing Session

16:00 – 18:00 City Tour and Dinner (Optional)


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Day 1: 10 December 2013 (The Regency Hotel)


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08:00 Transportation from Le Royal and Corniche Hotels to The Regency Hotel

08:15 – 09:00 Official registration and reception

Opening Ceremony : 09:00 – 09:45

• National Anthem• Recitation of Holy Quran• Patronage Speech of H.E. Mustafa AL-SHAMALI Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil, Chairman of Kuwait National Focal Point (KNFP) Delivered by: Mr. Khaled BUHAMRAH, Secretary General, KNFP

• Dr. Naji AL-MUTAIRI DirectorGeneral,KuwaitInstituteforScientificResearch (KISR)

• H.E. Ambassador Stephan HUSY Director, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)

• Introduction to the AOP Workshop Mr. Faiz PAKTIAN, Assistant Director, Head Standards and AOP, GICHD

09:45 – 10:00 Coffee Break


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Session 1: The environmental impact of mine/ERW contamination on terrestrial and marine ecosystems and human health

Chair : Mr. Khaled BUHAMRAH Secretary General, Kuwait National Focal Point (KNFP)

Co-Chair: Dr. Faiza AL-YAMANI, Executive Director, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, KISR

Rapporteur: Mr. Ursin HOFMANN, Programme Officer, GICHD

10:00 – 10:30 The importance and techniques of environmental impact assessments in post-conflict situations, Dr. Mario BURGER, Senior Scientific Advisor, United Nations Environment Programme

This presentation will address the question of the importance of environmental impact assessments inpost-conflictsituationswithaviewoncontaminationbyminesandERW,particularlyhighlightingwhat thebenefits are from these assessments andhow theyareundertaken. The session will start on a methodological level and build on practical examples. It will also raise awareness of how critical such assessments are in determining the scale of contaminationanditsrisktotheenvironmentandhowthefindingsofsuchassessmentsmayinfluenceactionstakentoaddressandmitigatethiscontamination.


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10:30 – 11:00 The state-of-the-art in GIS and remote sensing for mine action and environmental impact assessment, Ms. Angela DE SANTIS, Advisor, Information Management, GICHD

GIS are tools for collecting, analysing and displaying spatial data. Given the spatial nature of many environmental impacts, GIS can have a wide application in all stages of the environmental impact assessment. In the same line, remotely sensed data can provide valuable inputs for evaluating environmental variables, due to their high spatial coverage, revisit time and general availability. This presentation will provide an overview of the GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques (from very high – UAV- to medium resolution imagery –satellites) applied to (i) mine action, for suspected area reduction, indicators of mine presence/absenceidentification,changedetection,impactscoring,etc;and(ii)environmentalimpactassessment,forbaselinedefinition,environmentalindicatorsidentificationandmonitoring,spatial analysis, change detection and decision support systems.

11:00 – 11:30 The environmental impact of the Iraq-Kuwait conflict, Dr. Raafat MISAK, Research Scientist, Environment & Life Sciences Research Centre, KISR

Thispresentationwill cover experiences and lessons learnt from the Iraq-Kuwait conflictabout the various short and long-term impacts on the environment, resulting in soil erosion, destruction of vegetation and topsoil, and negatively impacting wildlife.

11:30 – 12.00 Operational approach to mitigate the environmental impact of mines in Azerbaijan, presented by Elnur GASIMOVE, Training, Survey and Quality Assurance (TSQA) Division of National Agency for Mine Action( ANAMA )


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In this presentation we will share with the Arab speaking nations ANAMA’s accomplishments, the experiences and lessons learned during 1999-2013 activities of dealing with UXO contamination and demining and rehabilitation in Azerbaijan. The environmental impact of mine contamination in soil and water in Azerbaijan will be discussed along with capacity building in that regard as well as ANAMA’s operational measures and methods to mitigate the environmental impact of mine clearance in Azerbaijan.


12:15 - 12:45 Armed Conflict and the use of explosives and propellants: environmental contamination and health impacts on people, Mr. Adam KONIUSZEWSKI, Executive Director, Green Cross International

Thispresentationwillgiveanintroductiontothewiderimpactofarmedconflictandtheuse of explosives and rocket propellants on the environment and human health. Building on the hands-on Green Cross experience in terms of promoting and facilitating security and sustainability, including the process of chemical weapons elimination, arms control, andpost-conflictenvironmentalassessments(namelytheKuwaitEnvironmentalAssessmentGreen Cross published in 1998) but also in addressing the human consequences of large-scale environmental contamination of wars and conflicts, this presentation will lay thetheoretical basis for subsequent sessions.

12:45 – 13:15 Open discussion

13:15 – 14:30 Lunch Break


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Session 2: Toxic Remnants of War and environmental awareness

Chair: Dr. Peter LITERATHY, Program Manager, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, KISRCo-Chair: Dr. Tareq AL-SABBAGH, Research Scientist, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, KISRRapporteur: Ms. May SALEM, Programme Assistant AOP, GICHD

14:30 – 15:00 Civilian protection from conflict toxics: The environmental impact of mines/ERW in the broader picture of Toxic Remnants of War, Dr. Mohamed GHALAIENY, Researcher, The Toxic Remnants of War Project

History has demonstrated that particular materials or compounds may be used on the basis of perceived military need, with little consideration of their potential impact both on the environment and by extension public health. While there have been indications of public health problems relating to military contamination, in many cases, the exact source, extent and severity of contamination is not known. Determining a simple causal relationship is a complexorimpossibletask,asfactorscommontomanypost-conflictenvironmentsposemajor challenges to environmental assessment and public health research methodologies. Theenvironmental impactofmines/ERW isoverviewed in thecontextofdiscussionandresearch about risks to civilian and environmental health from substances used in weapons andmilitarypracticesthatmaygeneratesignificantenvironmentalcontamination.

15:00 – 15:30 The environment and humanitarian action: the way towards more awareness and capacity-building, Mr. François GRÜNEWALD, Executive and Scientific Director, Groupe URD

In the broader humanitarian community, of which mine action is part, much effort is currently being deployed to enhance environmental considerations in the planning and implementation of humanitarian programmes. Groupe URD in partnership with other


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stakeholders has taken on a leading role in this initiative. This session will explore ways how environmental awareness and trainingwithin humanitarian field operations can bestrengthened, highlighting its relevance for the mine action community, and which tools and resources may be available to do so.

15:30 – 16:30 Discussion and conclusions – How does mine/ERW contamination affect the environment, what measures to take to prevent its negative impact and how to strengthen awareness and capacity-building


Session 3: Challenges of environmental protection in laws and standardsduringandafterconflicts

Chair : Prof. Ezio AMATO, Technical Programme Officer, Follow-up Programme for Environmental Awards, United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), Geneva

Co-Chair: Dr. Sameer AL-ZENKI, Science and Technology Director (STD), Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, KISR

Rapporteur: Mr. Ursin HOFMANN, Programme Officer, GICHD

17:00 –17:30 Strengthening protection of the natural environment in armed conflict Ms. Ghada AL-SHAWA, Legal Adviser, Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Kuwait

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Theseriousharmdonetothenaturalenvironmentduringarmedconflictsonlyaddstothevulnerabilityofthoseaffectedbythefighting.Humanbeingsdependontheenvironmentfortheir livelihood and well-being. While a certain level of environmental damage is inherent in armedconflict,itcannotbeunlimited.Forthisreason,theenvironmentenjoysthegeneralprotection that IHL confers on civilian objects. IHL also provides special protection for the natural environment in international armed conflicts, sinceAdditional Protocol prohibits“widespread, long-term and severe damage to the environment”. Despite these provisions, many organisations are of the view that international rules protecting the environment in armedconflictareeitherlackingorinsufficient.Thissessionwillfurtherelaboratethistopic.


19:00 – 21:00 Dinner jointly hosted by KISR and the GICHD (all participants & invited guests) & group photo. There will be a film show on “Fires of Kuwait” in IMAX theatre

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Day 2: 11 December 2013 (Le Royal Hotel)

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Session 3: (continued) Challenges of environmental protection in laws andstandardsduringandafterconflicts

09:00 – 09:30 International humanitarian law and environmental law: conflict or compatibility, Mr. Kerry BRINKERT, Director, Implementation Support Unit of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (ISU-APMBC)

This presentation focuses on what happens when a State’s obligations under international humanitarian law collide with its international or national legal obligations as concerns the environment. This question will be addressed by examining multiple case studies of States that are parties to the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention which have reported obligations to demine and which have faced challenges in doing so as a result of national or international legal obligations as concerns the environment.

09:30 – 10:00 Demining and environmental protection: The approach on Skallingen Peninsula, Mr. Martin JEBENS, Geologist and GIS Manager, Danish Coastal Authority

This presentation will provide an interesting insight into the legal constraints and approach chosen by Denmark to clear World War II mine contamination on Skallingen Peninsula while preserving the environment. The formerly mined area was part of the internationally famous Waddensee-area, which is designated as a specially protected nature and wildlife areaunderboththeRAMSARConvention,andtheEuropeanUnion’sBirdsandHabitatsDirectives. Therefore the area enjoys the strongest international and national legal protection against activities which may disturb or deteriorate the high natural qualities.

10:00 – 10:30 Standards and guidelines on the protection of the environment in demining operations, Mr. Faiz PAKTIAN, Assistant Director, Head Standards and AOP, GICHD

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The International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) provide a set of guidance on various aspects of mine action, ammunition management and stockpiles destruction. This presentation will provide an overview of the current normative framework for protection of the environment during demining operations.

10:30 – 11:00 Discussion and conclusions – Challenges of environmental protection in laws and standards and ways to address them, Facilitator Mr. Ucheora Onwuamaejbu, Legal Advisor, KNFP


Session 4: The environmental impact of demining operations

Chair : Dr. Mane AL-SUDAIRAWI, Programme Manager Crisis Decision, Support Programme, Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, KISR

Co-Chair: Engineer Faisal AL-HULAIL, Operations Director Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, KISR

Rapporteur: Ms. Mariam ISMAIL, Junior Programme Officer AOP GICHD

11:30 – 12:00 Hidden UXO in Kuwait (conditions and detection approaches), Mr. Alistair CRAIB, Consultant

The Iraqi Forces, while occupying Kuwait, depended on mines to set up an integrated system of barriers and obstacles due to the fact that the desert—particularly southern regions—is

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almost void of natural rugged barriers such as ridges, cliffs or wadis. Right after the liberation of Kuwait in February 1991, the Ministry of Defense signed contracts for mine clearance with severalcompaniesandgovernments.IntheoilfieldsofKuwait(7%ofthecountry)Landmines and UXO are concealed underneath a blanket of crude oil in the form of oil lakes and contaminated piles (about 114 km2). Under these conditions, the task of detection and clearance of the hidden landmines is complicated. 12:00 – 12:30 Mechanical demining: operational threats to the environment, Dr. Guy RHODES, Assistant Director, Head Operations Consulting, GICHD

The use of mechanical assets should be planned and carried out with a minimum impact on the environment. An environmental assessment should be part of the implementation planning and the systems should be used in such a way so that it has the least environmental impact. Planning should also include using the systems during seasons when damage to processed areas is as little as possible taking the risk of erosion due to heavy rains and wind into account. Repair, maintenance and servicing of mechanical systems should minimise or completely avoid making an environmental impact. It is important to be aware of possible chemical pollution when planning to use mechanical systems. For example, when hydraulic fluids enter the environment through spills/leaks inmachines or from storage areas andwaste sites, this can cause severe environmental pollution. This presentation will highlight the various challenges arising from mechanical demining operations in relation to the environment.



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Session 5: Operational lessons learnt (case studies)

Chair : Mr. Alistair CRAIB, Consultant

Co-Chair: Dr. Reza OSKUI, Research Scientist, KISR

Rapporteur: Dr. Raafat MISAK, Research Scientist, Environment & Life Sciences Research Center, KISR

14:00 – 14:30 Operational lessons learnt from the Falkland Islands, Mr. David HEWITSON, Fenix Insight Ltd.

TheFalklandIslandsconstituteauniqueecosystemandenvironment intermsof itsfloraand fauna and the landscape in which they live. Given its clearance obligation under Article5oftheAPMBC,theUnitedKingdomhadtoreflectonwayshowtocomplywithinternational norms while preserving the environment. Based on experiences made thus far, this session will discuss the operational lessons learnt from past and current mechanical clearance operations and other demining methods on the Falkland Islands and extrapolate good practice which could potentially be useful for other States Parties to the APMBC – and other relevant treaties – facing similar challenges.

14:30 – 15:00 The reduction of environmental impact during demining operations: lessons Learnt from the Jordan Mine Action Programme, Mr. Basem KASABEH, Project Manager, Jordan Valley Verification Project, National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation, Jordan

Based on experiences made by the National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation, this session will discuss how the environment was taken into consideration during demining activities. In particular, it will tackle the question of how environment support plans were

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established in the planning phase and how mine clearance and disposal technologies were adapted during implementation in order to be as environmentally-friendly as feasible. The design of working and disposal sites will also be discussed and best practice potentially useful for other mine action programmes will be extrapolated.



Session 6: The environmental impact of stockpile destruction and the importance of Ammunition Safety Management

Chair : Prof. Faisal TAHA, Consultant/Advisor, KISR

Co-Chair: Dr. Ghassan SHAHROUR, Chairman of Arab Network for Research and Studies on landmines and ERW in the Arab World

Rapporteur: Ms. Mariam ISMAIL, Junior Programme Officer AOP, GICHD

16:00 – 16:30 Stockpile destruction in support of international disarmament instruments, Mr. John RAWSON, Advisor, Ammunition Safety Management, GICHD

This presentation will highlight how environmental considerations have successfully been integrated in the planning, execution and reporting of PFM-1S AP mine stockpile destruction in Ukraine.

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16:30 – 17:00 Ammunition safety management and the environment, Mr. John RAWSON, Advisor, Ammunition Safety Management, GICHD

This presentation will elaborate on how the GICHD Ammunition Safety Management (ASM) tool set in a step by step approach, supports states in most need in adhering to the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) and thereby preventing accidents with potential catastrophic consequences to human life and the environment. Several accidents in the past have demonstrated the considerable risks and the devastating impact stemming from unsafe ammunition management and may serve as lessons learnt for the future.


19:00 – 21:00 Reception hosted by H.E. Etienne Thévoz, the Ambassador of Switzerland to Kuwait

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Day 3: 12 December 2013 (Le Royal Hotel)

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Session 7: Restoration and treatment of sites affected and contaminated by mines/ERW

Chair : Dr. Samira OMAR, Program Director, Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP), KISR

Co-Chair : Dr. Narayana BHAT, Senior Research Scientist, KISR

Rapporteur : Ms. May SALEM, Programme Assistant AOP, GICHD

09:00 – 09:30 Phyto-ruminal remediation of explosives contaminated soils in arid region, Prof. Morrie CRAIG, Oregon State University

Nitroaromatic compounds are widespread environmental contaminants resulting from military activities and non-detonated ammunition. Following the 1990 to 1991 Gulf War, a significantamountofmunitions residueswere left in thedesertofKuwait, resulting inenvironmental degradation. It is known that exposure to munitions residues can be detrimental to human health, although research has shown them not to be toxic to ruminant animals. It has also been shown that some plants are able to translocate munitions residues into their roots and blades. These processes can be combined into a phyto-ruminal bioremediation scheme as a “natural” way of cleaning up the environment and restoring the Kuwaiti desert.

09:30 – 10:00 Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program: Restoration for ecological functioning of terrestrial ecosystem, Prof. Faisal TAHA, Consultant/ Advisor, KISR

The Iraqi Invasion and occupation of Kuwait (August 1990-Feb. 1991) resulted in severe degradation to the terrestrial, marine and atmospheric environmental compartments of Kuwait. This presentation discusses the long term Kuwait Environmental RestorationProgramwhichstartedin2011.Emphaseswillbegiventore-vegetationofdamagedsitesand establish of protected areas in a number of ecosystems in Kuwait.

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10:00 – 11:00 Discussion and conclusions on which ways to strengthen environmental protection and remediation


Session8: Debate on mine action challenges in the region

Chair : Dr. Samira OMAR, Program Director, Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP), KISR

Co-Chair : Mr. Faiz PAKTIAN, Assistant Director, Head Standards and AOP, GICHD

Rapporteur : Mr. Ursin HOFMANN, Programme Officer, GICHD

11:30 – 12:00 The role of civil society in raising the environmental impact in disarmament: Example of the Arab network for Research and Studies on landmines and ERW, Dr. Ghassan SHAHROUR, Chairman of Arab Network for Research and Studies on landmines and ERW in the Arab World

12:00 – 12:15 The impact of Landmines/Cluster munitions/ERW in the Middle East and North Africa: factual information from the 2013 Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, Mr. Ayman SOROUR, Protection against Armaments/International Campaign to Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition

BasedontheLandmineandClusterMunitionMonitor2013,thispresentationwillbrieflyoutlinethehistoricalandgeographicalcausesoflandminesandERWcontaminationinthe

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MiddleEastandNorthAfricaaswellasdiscussthecontaminationonacountrylevel.Thehumanitarian impact in terms of recorded casualties in the region will also be addressed.

12:15 – 13:00 Update on the Arabic-Outreach Language Programme for Mine Action (AOP)In this session achievements of the AOP since its inception will be presented.


14:00 – 15:00 Discussion on the roles of the AOP in 2014 and beyond

Presentation on mine action capacity and institutional development needs assessment within the Arabic-speaking mine action programmes followed by a discussion on how the AOP could collectively address the priority issues in 2014 and beyond.

15:00 – 15:30 Conclusions on the AOP segment – The way forward for the AOP

Closing Session: (Outcomes and concluding remarks)15:30 – 15:45 Workshop evaluation

15:45 – 16:00 Workshop outcomes and concluding remarks• Mr. Saad AL-SAAD, Senior Consultant, KNFP• H.E. Ambassador Stephan HUSY, Director, GICHD

16:00 – 18:00 City Tour and Dinner organised by KISR (optional)

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COMMITTEES

Advisory Committee

Dr. Naji M. Al-Mutairi, Director General, KISR Chairman of Advisory Committee.Mr. Khaled Buhamrah, Secretary General, KNFP, Member. H.E. Ambassador Etienne Thévoz, Ambassador of Switzerland, Kuwait, MemberH.E Ambassador Stephan Husy, Director, Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), Member.

Technical Committee

Dr. Raafat Misak (KISR), ChairmanMr. Faiz Paktian (GICHD), Co-ChairmanMr. Richard Lowther (KNFP), MemberMr. Ursin Hofmann (GICHD), MemberDr. Tareq Al Sabbagh (KISR), MemberDr. Reza Oskui (KISR), Member

Organizing Committee

Dr. Samira Omar, ChairpersonMr. Faihan Al-Otaibi , Co-ChairmanMs. Ghadeer Al-Mattar, MemberEng. Waleed Roy, MemberMs. May Salem (GICHD), MemberMr. Bader Al-Shuail, MemberMr. Ali Al-Dawood, MemberMs. Nahed Al-Sayed, MemberMs. Reena Robin, Member

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Ms. Beyana Mathew, MemberMr. Momtaz Ahmad, MemberMr. Naser Al-Jamea, MemberMr. Mahmoud El-Maghraby, MemberMr. Khalid Al-Habini , Member

Recommendation CommitteeDr. Faisal Taha, ChairmanMr. Saad Al Saad (KNFP), MemberDr. Narayana Bhat, Member

Contact

Dr. Samira OmarChairperson of the Organizing Committee, Program Director, Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP), KISR, P.O Box 24885, Safat 13109, Kuwait, [email protected]

Mr. Faiz PaktianAssistant Director, Head of Standards and Coordinator of Linguistic Outreach Programme, GICHD, 7bis avenue de la Paix, P.O. Box 1300, CH-1211 Geneva 1, [email protected]

Mr. Ursin HofmannProgramme Officer, GICHD, 7bis avenue de la Paix, P.O. Box 1300, CH-1211 Geneva 1, [email protected]

Dr. Raafat MisakChairman of the Scientific Committee, Research Scientist, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), P.O Box 24885, Safat 13109, [email protected]

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