The contribution of landmines to land degradation

Landmines are one of the most environmentally destructive aftermaths of war facing the world today. The barely chronicled global landmine problem has transcended both humanitarian and sociological concerns to bring about environmental damage. Disruption of land's stability, pollution and loss of biodiversity constitute major ecological repercussions of landmine crisis. This review qualitatively integrates ecological, social, economic and political variables that play a role in creating and perpetuating a serious land degradation problem in landmine-affected regions. Through a mail survey and interview with professionals working in areas related to landmines, peace research, environmental management and law and extensive archival research this review tries to unravel the many facets and causal links in the ecological and socio-politico-economic problems. This paper highlights the complexity of the landmine problem and interrelationships between the issues surrounding the degradation and management of landmine-affected environments. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[1]  R. Mehra.  Women, Land and Sustainable Development , 1995 .

[2]  Kjell Erling Kjellman,et al.  Risk removed? Steps towards building trust in humanitarian mine action. , 2002, Disasters.

[3]  Shawn Roberts,et al.  After the Guns Fall Silent: The Enduring Legacy of Landmines , 1995 .

[4]  A. H. Westing.  Explosive remnants of war in the human environment , 1996, Environmental Conservation.

[5]  T. Dyson,et al.  World food trends and prospects to 2025. , 1999, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[6]  James C. Cobey,et al.  War of the Mines: Cambodia, Landmines and the Impoverishment of a Nation , 1995 .

[7]  A. H. Westing.  Explosive remnants of war : mitigating the environmental effects , 1985 .

[8]  J. Bentley.  Facts, fantasies, and failures of farmer participatory research , 1994 .

[9]  G. Hardin.  The Tragedy of the Commons , 2009 .

[10]  H. Aubert,et al.  Trace elements in soils , 1978 .

[11]  Avijit Gupta,et al.  Environment and the Developing World: Principles, Policies and Management , 1998 .

[12]  Belet Weyne.  Food and Agriculture Organization , 1949, International Organization.

[13]  Rae McGrath.  Landmines: Legacy of Conflict: A Manual for Development Workers , 1998 .

[14]  Other.  Human Development Report 2004: cultural liberty in today's diverse world , 2004 .

[15]  Mike Croll,et al.  The history of landmines , 1998 .

[16]  Mary B. Anderson.  Do No Harm: How Aid Can Support Peace - Or War , 1999 .

[17]  A. Plumptre,et al.  Effects of War and Civil Strife on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitats , 2002 .

[18]  K. Punch.  Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches , 2008 .

[19]  G. Hardin,et al.  The Tragedy of the Commons , 1968, Green Planet Blues.

[20]  C. Barrow,et al.  Land Degradation Development and Breakdown of Terrestrial Environments , 1991 .

[21]  Douglas L. Johnson,et al.  Land Degradation: Creation and Destruction , 1995 .

[22]  J. Ribot,et al.  A Theory of Access. , 2009 .

[23]  Boutros Boutros-Ghali,et al.  The Land Mine Crisis: A Humanitarian Disaster , 1994 .

[24]  Lester R. Brown,et al.  Eroding the base of civilization , 1981 .

[25]  Harold Brookfield,et al.  Land degradation and society , 1988 .

[26]  Neil Andersson,et al.  Social cost of land mines in four countries: Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cambodia, and Mozambique , 1995, BMJ.

[27]  S. Pagiola.  The global environmental benefits of land degradation control on agricultural land , 1999 .

[28]  M. Cameron,et al.  To walk without fear: the global movement to ban landmines , 1998 .

[29]  Zvonko Orehovec,et al.  Danger of landmines, unexploded shells, and environmental consequences of the recent war on the territory of the Repbulic of Croatia , 1998 .