Wadi Araba Project
NPA is at present working with the last phase of the Wadi Araba project. The tool box used to tackle this area is manual demining using the rake method, mechanical verification using the Mine Wolf machine and the Mine Detection Dogs.
Furthermore, NPA has established a Land Release Committee which is doing a general survey of the area between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea to identify any Suspected Hazardous Area (SHA) and to give recommendations on areas which should be released, cancelled, verified or cleared. The Land Release Committee is a joint committee between NPA and the National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation (NCDR) in order to make the process of the land release more effective and cost efficient.
Total Square metres cleared up to now are 135 011 sqm with 39 000 mines recovered out of total 56 000 mines planted. NPA expects to finish the mine clearance project in Wadi Araba by December 2007.
By invitation from the NCDR, NPA has been further tasked with clearing the last remaining hurdle in Jordan’s efforts to comply with the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) in the north of the country along the Syrian border. In addition, NPA is implementing a Landmine Retrofit Survey (LRS) to quantify the impact. Further, NPA is contracted by the NCDR to give technical assistance where requested and relevant to assist in the development of the national authority.
Syrian Border Project
The mines in that area were planted in the 1970s during the civil war. The area is about 104 Km long along the border with Syria with approximately 280000 Anti-personnel and Anti-tank mines.
In the near future NPA will be conducting a Technical Survey to assess the situation at the Syrian Border and to make all essential estimations for budgeting, timing, recruiting and purchasing. At this time the logistics department is busy undertaking the necessary procurement for the basic equipment needed for the project.
NPA’s Goals
Working in co-operation with the NCDR, NPA’s main goal is to enhance the individual’s and communities’ opportunity and ability to control their own lives while respecting political, economic and social rights for all, where the threat from landmines is not a factor nor impediment to development. NPA’s immediate goal is then to assist and ensure that Jordan reaches the obligations under the MBT so that landmines no longer impact communities nor are an impediment to further social and economic development while considering the environmental effect of NPA’s work.
The Future plans for the region
Jordan has long suffered the negative impact of landmines. Rich agricultural lands have remained uncultivated, irrigation and hydro projects delayed, housing construction postponed and, historical and world cultural heritage sites unexplored. Based on the data collected from Government sources and the REC it is estimated that roughly 500,000 people representing 8% of the population are affected by the presence of mines. National efforts to eradicate the landmines threat in Jordan have been underway since 1993 when his Late Majesty, King Hussein instructed the REC to begin humanitarian mine action clearance in the Jordan Valley.
The Wadi Araba region has become strategically more important over the past decade with a planned university campus to be built in the Aqaba area which would be managed by a joint Jordanian-Israeli-American consortium. There are plans for further development of hydro electricity and tourism in the area, as well as the mega Red-Dead Sea pipeline project which will have major bearings on the future development and quality of life potential of all the people of Jordan.
By the removal of humanitarian threat to local populations and the re-utilization of the agricultural land along the Syrian border it will help alleviate poverty levels along border where agriculture is the primary source of income.
It is worth mentioning that Jordan will host the Eight Member State Party Meeting of the Ottawa MBT in November 2007 and NPA will be an active member of it.
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