Interactive Map of Mines (UA0080)

Creating an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives As a result of an armed aggression of the Russian Federation, large territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblast got contaminated with explosives. According to preliminary estimates, the liberated square footage which is considered contaminated with explosives is about 7,000 sq.km, and over 1.5 million people live there. Approximately 15,000 sq.km inhabited by some 3.8 million people are areas where the public authorities temporarily do not exercise their powers. There is evidence that part of this territory is also contaminated with mines and explosives. It should be demined after the public authorities restore their powers there. Mine action taking place in Ukraine includes mine risk education, humanitarian demining, exploration of the presence of mines and explosives, drawing up maps, marking and demining; providing assistance to victims, including rehabilitation; destruction of stocks of explosives; awareness raising and advocacy against the use of landmines. With this being said, it is necessary to establish the unified system to manage information on mine action, namely: • List of territories/areas that were or can be contaminated with explosives; • Data on these areas on a geographic map, their square footage, nature of soil, types of detected explosives, information on civilian casualties caused by explosions on these areas; • Location of health facilities around these areas, especially those that provide primary health care to persons injured by explosions and are located close to areas contaminated with explosives; • Types of economic activities that will run on the areas contaminated with explosives after demining. Actions Responsible Timeframe Partners Indicator 1. Establishing requirements to an interactive map of territories contaminated Ministry of Defence Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources December 2018 – April 2019 Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, OSCE Project Coordinator in ToR developed 19 with mines and explosives State Emergency Service Ukraine, other CSOs and international organizations (upon their consent) 2. Developing an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives Ministry of Defence Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources State Emergency Service January – May 2019 Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine, other CSOs and international organizations (upon their consent) Design layout and software produced, texts, photo and video content produced, software installed 3. Beta testing of an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives -//- June – October 2019 -//- Interactive map put to beta testing; it is streamlined based on the beta testing findings and feedback from the CSOs; training to interactive map administrators provided 4. Putting an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives to operation -//- November – December 2019 -//- Adequate operation of all services of an interactive map and the use of an interactive map by executive authorities ensured Expected results of this activity are ensuring access to information on territories contaminated with mines and explosives for all actors engaged in mine action, as well as for the communities, local executive authorities, mass media; mitigating the risk of emergencies caused by unauthorized handling of explosives, of psychological stress of local population, reducing harm to environment caused by the explosives and enabling the economic use of demined territories and infrastructure assets.

11. Create an interactive map of mined territories

Language of the commitment as it appears in the action plan: [95] Creating an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives

As a result of an armed aggression of the Russian Federation, large territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblast got contaminated with explosives.

According to preliminary estimates, the liberated square footage which is considered contaminated with explosives is about 7,000 sq.km, and over 1.5 million people live there. Approximately 15,000 sq.km inhabited by some 3.8 million people are areas where the public authorities temporarily do not exercise their powers. There is evidence that part of this territory is also contaminated with mines and explosives. It should be demined after the public authorities restore their powers there.

Mine action taking place in Ukraine includes mine risk education, humanitarian demining, exploration of the presence of mines and explosives, drawing up maps, marking and demining; providing assistance to victims, including rehabilitation; destruction of stocks of explosives; awareness raising and advocacy against the use of landmines. With this being said, it is necessary to establish the unified system to manage information on mine action, namely:

• List of territories/areas that were or can be contaminated with explosives;
• Data on these areas on a geographic map, their square footage, nature of soil, types of detected explosives, information on civilian casualties caused by explosions on these areas;
• Location of health facilities around these areas, especially those that provide primary health care to persons injured by explosions and are located close to areas contaminated with explosives;
• Types of economic activities that will run on the areas contaminated with explosives after demining.

Milestones:

1. Establishing requirements to an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives
2. Developing an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives
3. Beta testing of an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives
4. Putting an interactive map of territories contaminated with mines and explosives to operation

Start Date: December 2018

End Date: December 2019

Context and objectives

As a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, large parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts (regions) are contaminated with explosives. [96] The government of Ukraine estimates that on Ukraine-controlled Donbas territories, the area contaminated with explosives equals around 7 thousand square kilometres hosting over 1.5 million people, with other territory currently not under Ukrainian control of around 15 thousand square kilometres hosting over 3.8 million people. In 2018, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) received over 1,000 requests to check for explosives around civilian infrastructure. [97] According to the mass media organization NV, Ukraine is currently one of the most mine-polluted countries in the world. [98]

This commitment aims to create an interactive map of mine territories in Ukraine. In October 2018, prior to the start of this action plan, the MoD published a simple online map of mined Donbas territories. [99] This interactive map [100] allows zooming and clicking on mine zones, with pop-up windows of various important details about the area according to the most recent survey. However, this publicly available information is far from being complete. According to an Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) official, the existing map shows only the known border of mined areas. [101] Moreover, an expert from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) pointed out the concern that the population might think that there are no mines on unmarked territories, [102] when in reality, mines may still exist even if an expedition did not find any. She also added that there is no research on many zones, especially the demarcation territories between the two sides. [103]

The government anticipates this commitment will ensure more accurate information on territories contaminated with mines and explosives for all actors engaged in mine action, as well as for the communities, local executive authorities, and media. [104] This could help mitigate the risk of emergencies caused by unauthorized handling of explosives, and reduce some of the psychological stress of local population. [105] Considering the major upgrade to the existing map’s information and its importance to the safety of civilians who live close to the conflict zone, this commitment has a moderate potential impact.

Next steps

To ensure completion of this commitment, the IRM researcher recommends that the MoD facilitates faster checks of IT solutions and host the future interactive map on the ministry’s servers. This recommendation is based on GICHD concerns [106] about up to three-year-long checks of IT solutions and the unsustainable location of the current map on external hosting services.

11. Create an interactive map of mined territories

Aim of the commitment

This commitment aimed to create an interactive map of mined territories in the government-controlled parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The map would identify and communicate to the public information about the areas contaminated with explosives on the approximately 7,000 square kilometers inhabited by over 1.5 million people. Prior to the start of this action plan, in October 2018, the Ministry of Defense published a simpler and less informative online map of mined Donbas territories. [61]

Did it open government?

Marginal

The Ministry of Defense (MoD), in collaboration with its partners, ^[62] has designed, developed, filled with data, tested, updated, and published the online interactive map. It shows the territories contaminated with mines and explosives in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. ^[63] The map uses several layers of data, such as settlements, regional boundaries, locations of contaminated territories, ^[64] and nearby health facilities. ^[65] Some territories do not have descriptions, and the map lacks some data that the government initially planned to include. ^[66] Despite the regular submissions of demining survey responses and clearance data to the ministry, national and international sources note its incompleteness. ^[67] They also call attention to the poor quality of available data on the map. ^[68] A civil society expert mentioned that a national demining agency, which the government has proposed, would be capable of ensuring proper data provision and functioning of this interactive map. [69]

By publishing the interactive map and conducting communication activities, the MoD and its partners advanced publicly available data about the mined territories to professional circles and the wider population. According to MoD, this map launched in August 2019 and circulated to Ukraine’s national online media (UKR.net, UATV, Censor.net, Ukrainian News, ZN.ua, ZIK.ua, InternetUA, RBK-Ukraine, META.ua, and PRIAMY, etc.). The government also presented the map at a series of offline events in 2019 and 2020. (These included the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [OSCE] workshop, a MoD thematic briefing, United Nations Development Programme meetings, OSCE celebrations, a regional seminar, an OGP Ukraine meeting, roundtables, and a press tour. [70])

The MoD reported a decline in the number of injured persons from mines. [71] However, this may also be due to other awareness-raising activities and demining in the region, not just the map.

Despite the limitations of data quality and an existing (but simpler) map, the interactive map provides disclosure and dissemination of more up to date and detailed information. Information also became available about the territories’ “open” and “closed” statuses and the location of nearby hospitals. This map therefore marks a marginal increase of access to public information about mined and safe territories in Donbas.