According to Chris Loughran and Camille Wallen, “It is a double win that demining – which is always a good thing – is linked to sustainable agriculture and energy security, even in the face of ongoing conflict ”.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country has become one of the most landmine-ridden places in the world. estimated 25% of the country infected with mines – an area four times the size of Switzerland.
The report is titled Increase financing for mine action in Ukraineexplore new financing solutions to advance Ukraine’s national mine action strategy to address the major demining challenge facing the country.
Authorized by UNDP At the request of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, it sets out the range of specific models that could reasonably be put forward for potential application.
Everything before that was ‘dress rehearsal’
According to UNDP, since World War I and II, the Government of Ukraine has managed the risks associated with unexploded ordnance, but the current full-scale war is a whole new level of complexity.
Representative, 30 to 50% of unexploded bombs fail to detonatebut the rest remained active, with any physical impact likely to cause an explosion, said Alexander Lobov, a mine action expert with UNDP. said in an interview with UN News last year.
This makes the scale of the invasion of Ukraine especially dangerous and complex. more than a thousand kilometers of front line according to Paul Heslop, Chief Technical Advisor for UNDP’s Mine Action Program in Ukraine.
IN another interview earlier this year to UN News, Mr. Heslop, who spent 30 years clearing mines in hot spots from Mozambique to Afghanistan, described all those experiences as a “rehearsal” for Ukraine – the current mission his most current and challenging.
Two key solutions
According to the UNDP report, there are two main solutions to Ukraine’s demining challenge.
The first, called the Sustainability Linked Bond (SLB), seeks to combine mine action efforts with Ukraine’s transition to sustainable agriculture, particularly through winter wheat production organic and “no-till” farming practices.
Meanwhile, the Results-Based Public-Private Partnership (OB-PPP) will integrate demining with solar energy development.
By promoting private sector participation, the proposed SLB and OB-PPP models aim to meet Ukraine’s strategic needs in mine action, energy and agriculture, and promote economic recovery.
Long-term commitment
“UNDP is committed to promoting innovative solutions that address immediate needs while advancing Ukraine’s long-term sustainability goals,” said Jaco Cilliers, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine.
“By linking mine action with sustainable agricultural practices and renewable energy, we can help promote economic recovery and resilience in Ukraine,” he added.
As Ukraine navigates the complexities of recovery and development, these innovative financing approaches represent an important step toward a more secure and sustainable future.
