Mine Clearance Definitions

Landmines affect at least 60 countries and injure or kill between 15 000 and 20 000 people annually.
Mine clearance is one of the five core components of mine action. In its broad sense, it includes surveys, mapping and minefield marking, as well as the actual clearance of mines from the ground. This range of activities is also sometimes referred to as ”demining”.
There are two types of mine clearance:
military and humanitarian.

Humanitarian Mine Clearance
Humanitarian mine clearance aims to clear land so that civilians can return to their homes and their
everyday routines without the threat of landmines and unexploaded remnants of war (erw),
which include unexploaded ordnance and abandoned explosive ordnance.
This means that all the mines and erw affecting the places where ordinary people live must be cleared, and their safety in areas that have been cleared must be guaranteed.
The aim of humanitarian demining is to restore peace and security at the community level.

Military Mine Clearance
Military mine clearance, called Countermine Operations is the process undertaken by soldiers to
clear a safe path so they can advance during conflict, clearing safe areas for the forces behind like logistics, camps and freedom of movement.
The military process of Countermine Operations is divided into Mine Breaching, Mine Clearance and Demining, where Mine Breaching only clears mines that block strategic pathways required in the advance or retreat of soldiers at war. Mine Clearance is clearing of areas for freedom of movement
and Demining is removing the total threat of landmines.