All modern conflicts leave a problem of unexploded ordnance in their aftermath, inflicting severe human, social and economic costs. Europe is not immune from this issue. Today, landmine-affected countries in Europe are Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, with a total of about 150,000 unexploded ordnance.
Mineland
With an average removal cost of 1000 euros per mine, funds cut is behind the main reason why demining is still unfinished after more than 20 years of work. Every year, deminers and civilians die or get injured because of ordnance explosion.
A common sentiment of all organisations involved in demining operations is that greater funds are required to increase clearance capacity and ultimate demining in a timely manner. According to the Ottawa treaty, demining operations should be completed by 2019. However none of the above mentioned countries will be able to respect the deadline.
The present project wants to bring to the public’s attention an issue which is far from being solved. The photographic documentation includes aerial photographs of minefields and demining operations as well as still-life images of exploded ordnance, tools used by deminers and and prosthetic limbs.
