International Determinants of Demining Territories in the Context of Sustainable Development: Economic Projection

Abstract

The problem of landmines is becoming increasingly prevalent, with a growing impact on all spheres of society and a consequent slowing down of sustainable development planning at the international, national and local levels. Since February 2022, the issue of mine clearance has become even more relevant for Ukraine, where active hostilities are still ongoing, which requires a thorough study of the economic, social and environmental aspects of this process. In order to mitigate the negative impact of the war and possibly speed up the clearance of mines and other explosive hazards, it is important to analyse the key results of international experience in this area, which has already been gained by a significant number of countries. In order to expand on the subject of this study the example of demining territories of the seven most heavily mined countries in the world were chosen: Albania, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia and Turkey. The authors concentrated on identifying problems and highlighting the potential for further research into the sustainable dimension of demining, which is considered in this study to be the initial stage of territorial rehabilitation. In this context, the authors focus on the key results of demining through the prism of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on the economic component, as it affects the possibility of rapid resumption of economic and other peaceful use of the territories affected by armed conflicts. This formed the basis of the conclusions, where the authors substantiated ways to implement international demining experience in Ukrainian practice that lies in the inclusion of sustainable development components in strategic and operational documents at the national level. This is to lay a solid foundation for restoring the economic, social and environmental potential of territories in the context of war and post-war recovery.