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Land use planning in landmine affected areas
Project Number:
CBD111-08
Country:
Cambodia
Type of Organisation:
Non-Governmental Organisation
Thematic Areas:
Land Use Management
Disaster and Emergency
Use of Information in Decision Making
Classification:
Best Practice
Summary:
In 2004, Australian Volunteers International (AVI) initiated the Capacity Building for Mine Action Planning project to work with Cambodia’s five Mine Action Planning Units (MAPUs). The project purpose was to build responsive, transparent and holistic mine action planning (MAP) capacity across mine affected provinces; ensure the participation of all stakeholders and; facilitate land allocation and planning following clearance of explosive remnant of war (ERW - landmines and unexploded ordnance). As provincially based secretariats, MAPUs engage all stakeholders in the mine action planning (MAP) process to addresses both immediate and ongoing needs of mine affected communities, of which land use is a major issue.
The project has successfully increased MAPU’s engagement with the national mine action authority, the Cambodian Mine Action Authority (CMAA). This has ensured MAPU’s play a vital role in distributing information from the field to support Cambodia’s national policy on mine action planning and land clearance prioritization.
The strengthened capacity of MAPUs, created a transparent bottom up planning and prioritization process that actively engages families and communities MAP. A process that assists the Royal Government of Cambodia’s objectives for management of the mine action sector as outlined in the “Sub Decree on Socio Economic Management of Mine Clearance Operations in Cambodia - 2004.
Furthermore, MAPUs, use strict criteria to allocate land pre-clearance to impoverished families, to guarantee clarity of land use. The projects use of targeted expatriate technical assistance has trained up 50 local MAPU staff in various forms of information technology and management processes. This includes GIS/mapping to clarify land boundaries and a means to avoid disputes within communities, creating database management systems, budgeting and accounting practices, organising meetings, and running workshops.
The project has directly contributed to reducing Cambodia’s annual landmine casualty rate. Having averaged 850 victims from 2000-05, the rate dropped to 450 in 2006, and further again to 351 in 2007. While other factors have contributed to this encouraging trend, it is has been acknowledged that better-coordinated efforts of the mine action sector in recent years are an important contributor.
Contact Person:
Christine Crosby
Australian Volunteers International – Cambodia
P.O. Box 1306 Phnom Penh / 227C, Street 63, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
3. Name of the Organization,
Australian Volunteers International
Street,
71 Argyle Street
(P.O. Box 350)
City/Town,
Fitzroy
Postal Code, 3065
Country, Australian
Telephone (Country code) +61(City code) 3 number 9279 1763
Fax (Country code) (City code) number
Email addresses. Of contact person: ccrosby@australianvolunteers.com
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