UNDP trials innovative technologies that could rid Ukraine of landmines in 10 years
Ukraine is currently thought to be the most mine-contaminated countries in the world. In this fascinating blog post, Paul Heslop, the head of the Mine Action Programme at UNDP in Ukraine, describes how new technologies could dramatically increase the speed and effectiveness of mine clearance.
The landmines now contaminating Ukrainian agricultural lands harm both people's safety and the economy. Farmers cannot use their fields until deminers clear the area. Clearance is usually done using conventional methods – deminers search for mines while traversing fields with special equipment.
Recently, I
visited Zhytomyr Oblast along with Ukraine's Minister of Economy, Yuliia
Svyrydenko; the CEO of the Kyiv School of Economics, Mykhailo Shneyder; U.S.
investor Howard Buffet; and our partners from the State Emergency Service of
Ukraine (SESU). The purpose of our visit was to explore Ukrainian technologies
that have the potential to revolutionize this sector. It was truly inspiring to
witness how rapidly local technologies are being developed to support
humanitarian mine action. UNDP is committed to bringing together the best of
both international and national innovation.
In June, UNDP in Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, and the Kyiv School of Economics started testing a range of robotic technologies for demining. During the first phase, we trialled seven UAV/sensor technologies. The trial was supported by UNDP and generous funding from the Government of Denmark.
Two technologies
were consistently able to detect surface-laid mines and unexploded ordnance, while
another one was consistently able to detect sub-surface (buried) mines and
unexploded ordnance. The Ministry of Economy provided a test site covered in
mines and unexploded ordnance where the trials could be conducted safely.
Innovative
technologies in action
One of the
companies participating in the trials detects explosive objects by analysing
changes in the Earth's magnetic field caused by the presence of mines. This technology
can detect mines both underground and on the surface.
A magnetometer is suspended under a drone, which flies over the minefield on a specified trajectory. During the flight, the device records the parameters of the magnetic field, matched to precise coordinates. After landing, the information that has been collected is processed using specialized software, creating a map of the minefield, with bright points indicating the location of mines or unexploded ordnance.
Another technology allows the detection of mines and ordnance using artificial intelligence. By analysing images taken by UAVs, the system can pinpoint the locations of explosive objects autonomously and describe the type of object located on the terrain.
These
technologies will serve two important purposes: first, to determine whether
mines are actually present on the territory, and second, to confirm the absence
of mines. Both tasks are crucial outcomes.
If no mines
are detected, the fields can swiftly be returned to farmers. If mines are
present, they will be handled by the SESU or other organizations. If these
tools are effective, UNDP and partners would like to scale them up for use all
over the country.
A comprehensive and innovative approach
What's next? We will continue testing these three technologies, which have already shown good results. A further more extensive trial for the shortlisted technologies is planned for October–November 2023, run for the Ministry of Economy with the support of UNDP. First and foremost, these technologies will be offered to the SESU for use, but other demining operators could also use them.
The
approach to demining must be comprehensive and innovative. The level of
contamination with mines and unexploded ordnance in Ukraine is very high, with
some areas of the country likely among the most contaminated parts of the
planet at this moment in time.
The problem
of mine contamination is also a global economic issue, affecting food security.
Lower production in Ukraine could lead to ever-higher food prices, which would
hit countries that import food hard. To help reduce global food insecurity, we
need to remove mines from Ukrainian land to allow it to be farmed again.
This will
require a new mindset, and focusing on impacts and positive outcomes from the
use of such technology. There are many ways new technology can help: working with the SESU using powerful computers, A.I. and
satellite imagery, we can evaluate around 800 square kilometres of territory for farmers a week, giving them the
confidence to use land previously thought to be unsafe.
Clearing
Ukraine’s territories of mines currently costs $300 million annually. With our project,
using a high impact, low-cost technological solution that costs just a few
thousand dollars, we could save millions of dollars. There
is no silver bullet in mine action, but if we think outside of the box, Ukraine can remove much
of the economic impact from perceived explosive contamination within
the next 10 years.
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