Contamination and Impact

Mines

Mine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination in Azerbaijan is the consequence of the 1988–1994 armed conflict with Armenia—which saw landmines laid by both sides—and ammunition abandoned by the Soviet army in 1991. The most heavily contaminated areas are along the borders and confrontation lines between Armenia and Azerbaijan, including area in and around Nagorno-Karabakh (see the Nagorno-Karabakh profile).

Since 2001, surveys have reduced the total extent of suspected contamination within areas under the control of Azerbaijan. In 2003, the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) identified 970 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) covering 736km².[1] In 2006, resurvey reduced the estimated contamination to 306km².[2] By the beginning of 2014, further survey and clearance operations had reduced mined area in areas under Azeri control to an estimated 120km².[3]

The precise extent of contamination in the seven districts occupied by Armenia is unknown. The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) suggests contamination may cover between 350km² and 830km².[4]

In 2013, ANAMA recorded a total of eight casualties (all male; four killed, four injured).[5] This compares with 19 casualties in 2012.

Cluster munition remnants

In 2007, the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL) conducted survey of cluster munition contamination in the non-occupied border regions of Azerbaijan. It concluded that cluster munitions (among other ordnance) had been used in the Aghdam and Fizuli regions.[6] Significant contamination from cluster munition remnants has been identified in Nagorno-Karabakh (see the Nagorno-Karabakh profile).[7]

In 2006 and 2007, cluster munition remnants were found in and around warehouses at a former Soviet ammunition storage area (ASA) located at Saloglu in Agstafa district, where clearance was completed in July 2011. None have since been encountered.

Other explosive remnants of war

There are also other areas confirmed or suspected to contain ERW, including both unexploded ordnance (UXO) and abandoned explosive ordnance. Despite ongoing clearance efforts, significant contamination remains in and around warehouses at the former Soviet ASA in Guzdek village in Garadakh district, close to the capital, Baku. In 1991, 20 warehouses were blown up in Guzdek village resulting in tens of thousands of items of ordnance being scattered over a large area.[8]

Mine Action Program

A 1998 presidential decree established ANAMA, which is tasked with planning, coordinating, managing and monitoring mine action in the country. ANAMA also conducts demining operations, along with two national operators that it contracts: Dayag-Relief Azerbaijan (Dayag-RA) and the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF). No commercial companies are active in mine action in Azerbaijan.

Strategic Planning

ANAMA’s mine action strategy for 2009–13 foresaw resurvey, area reduction, and clearance of some 170km² of accessible SHAs. For 2013, the strategic plan expected to release a total of some 35km²: 28.5km² by survey and 6.5km² by clearance. [9]

This was not achieved. The second, long-term pillar of the strategy sought to build adequate management and operational capacity capable of resolving the mine/ERW contamination in the occupied territories once they are released from occupation. [10]

Land Release

ANAMA has reported clearance for 2013 of more than 4.6km² of mined land: 1.8km² through manual clearance and 2.8km² with mine detection dog (MDD) support.

Release of mined area by clearance in 2013⁸

 

A further 12.4km² was canceled by non-technical survey (NTS) and 2.4km² released by technical survey (TS). The program’s flails are used mainly for TS operations.[11] In addition, there was 11km² of battle area clearance (BAC).[12]

Release of mined area by survey in 2013[13]

Note: * This includes four antivehicle mines cleared during BAC and a further four cleared during roving tasks.

As of the beginning of 2014, mine clearance capacity consisted of three manual demining teams (ANAMA, Dayag-RA, and IEPF) of 40 staff each, six flails, and 36 MDDs and their handlers, the same capacity as in 2012. No major changes in capacity were expected in 2014.[14]

From 1998 to end 2013, Azerbaijan found and destroyed a total of 322 antipersonnel mines, 692 antivehicle mines, and 687,619 items of UXO. This is an extremely small number of mines given the extent of reported clearance of 14.5km² of mined area.[15]

Five-year summary of land release

 

Azerbaijan submitted voluntary Mine Ban Treaty Article 7 transparency reports in 2008 and 2009 but has not submitted an Article 7 report in the last four years.

Support for Mine Action

In 2013, the government of Azerbaijan contributed more than US$10.4 million to the mine action program from the state budget and a further €1.6 million (more than $4.1 million) to the NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) Trust Fund Project on clearance of Jeyranchel from mines and UXO.[16]

UNDP Azerbaijan contributed $255,755 to support its mine action program. The NATO PfP Trust Fund Project received €556,111 from international donors (Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, and the US).[17]

Azerbaijan’s plan for clearance operations in 2009–13 (in accessible territory) estimated a total funding requirement of $53 million. Some $50 million was provided. Since 2008, the government of Azerbaijan has contributed more than 80% of the cost of its mine action program.