Contamination and Impact

Mines

Azerbaijan is contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), primarily as a result of armed conflict with Armenia in 1988–1994. A general survey of contamination was undertaken in 2001, followed by a Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) in 18 districts carried out from September 2002 to June 2003. The LIS identified 480 mine-impacted communities and 163 ERW-impacted communities in 18 districts. In total, 970 suspected hazardous areas (SHAs) covering 736km² of land were found to be affecting 514,000 people.[1]

In late 2006, the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) significantly reduced the overall estimate of contamination to 306km², based on a survey conducted with the support of local authorities of the 11 most heavily mine/ERW-affected districts.[2] This revised figure included areas not identified by the LIS. New SHAs have since been identified by re-survey by ANAMA, but land release had reduced the overall SHA to approximately 155km² as of the end of 2010.[3]

The precise extent of the mine/ERW problem in areas of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia is unknown. In addition to Nagorno-Karabakh (see Nagorno-Karabakh profile), which was occupied by Armenian forces during the conflict between the two countries, the districts of Gubadly, Jabrayil, Kelbajar, Lachin, and Zangilan, as well as parts of Aghdam, Fizuli, and Terter, are under the control of Armenian forces.[4] These areas are believed to have extensive mine/ERW contamination estimated to cover hundreds of square kilometers.[5]

Cluster munition remnants

Azerbaijan is affected by cluster munition remnants. In 2007, the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines (AzCBL) conducted a survey of cluster munition contamination in the non-occupied border regions of Azerbaijan. It concluded that cluster munitions had been used in Aghdam, Aghdara, and Fizuli districts/regions.[6]

Significant contamination from cluster munition remnants has also been identified in Nagorno-Karabakh (see 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. None have since been encountered (see below section, Clearance of cluster munition contaminated area in 2010).

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 (AXO). Despite ongoing clearance efforts, significant contamination remains in and around warehouses at the former Soviet ASA at Saloglu and in Guzdek village in Garadakh district, a 20-minute drive from the capital, Baku. The ASA at Saloglu, which consisted of 138 bunkers, was the largest Soviet warehouse in the south Caucasus. In 1991, when Azerbaijan gained independence, the warehouse was blown up by the departing Soviet army.[8] Since the explosion, which scattered stored munitions, 152 incidents have reportedly killed 32 people and injured 91 others.[9]

Also 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. There is evidence that the perimeter surrounding the area was mined as mine incidents since then are reported to have killed two people and injured two others.[10]

Mine Action Program

Key institutions and operators

ANAMA was established in 1998 as the national entity mandated to oversee all mine action activities in Azerbaijan under the supervision of the State Commission for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation. A Joint Working Group, established in December 1999 to improve coordination among ministries and state bodies on a bilateral basis, has met only three times in 10 years. UNDP has claimed that ANAMA may try to reorganize the Joint Working Group by changing its membership.[11]

ANAMA has its headquarters in Baku, a regional office in Fizuli, a Regional Mine Action Resource and Training Center in Goygol, and three operational centers: in Agjabedi, Agstafa, and Terter. At the end of 2010, ANAMA had 404 employees of whom 253 were operational staff as well as 32 mine detection dogs (MDDs) and six demining machines. Its operating partners to conduct clearance operations are two national NGOs: Dayag (Relief Azerbaijan) and the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF). The two NGOS have a combined staff of 158.[12]

Two strategic plans are being pursued by the mine action program. The first is a medium-term plan to release all of the 306km² of SHAs in accessible areas by the end of 2013.[13] It appears that the program will not meet this deadline based on current trends. As noted above, as of the end of 2010, 155km² remained to be released from this total. In 2011, ANAMA planned to release approximately 27km².[14] By the end of April it had already achieved one-third of its target.[15]

The second strategic plan is a longer term strategy by which ANAMA plans to increase its operational and management capacity to enable it to address the mine and ERW threat from the occupied areas once they are returned to Azerbaijan.[16] At a news conference in Baku on 11 November 2010, ANAMA’s director, Nazim Ismayilov, said once the Azerbaijani territories now under Armenian occupation are returned to Azerbaijan it could take 10 years to clear the area of mines.[17]

In a new strategic direction, ANAMA has begun to offer training to other mine action programs in the region. Following a June 2009 UNDP feasibility study that concluded that an international mine action center in Azerbaijan could benefit programs from Croatia to Tajikistan, in 2010 ANAMA opened a training center in Goygol region, 360km west of Baku. Among other training and support activities, mine action personnel from Georgia, Tajikistan, and Turkey were trained in demining techniques, information management, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and quality assurance (QA).[18]

Land Release

ANAMA has embraced a land release approach. A new standing operating procedure for land release adopted in July 2009 requires survey teams to conduct a physical spot check of at least 10% of the SHA.[19] According to the new system, land is classified to three categories depending on the threat level: low, medium, or high. Each threat level now has its own clearance methodology, using either one or a combination of demining tools.[20]

In 2010, Azerbaijan released 29.72km² of which 7.44km² was through clearance and the remaining 22.28km² was canceled or released by survey.[21] Since 2008, Azerbaijan has canceled or released a total of more than 90km²: an annual average of some 30km². In January–April 2011, Azerbaijan released a further 8.98km² of contaminated area through mine and battle area clearance (BAC) (3.19km²) and survey (5.79km²).[22]

Five-year summary of land release[23]

Survey in 2010

ANAMA conducts surveys with the Resurvey Team from its Training, Survey and Quality Assurance Division (TSQAD) and technical survey teams from ANAMA, IEPF and Dayag.[24] ANAMA non-technical survey teams in 2010 canceled 16.58km² of SHAs while technical surveys from ANAMA, Dayag, and IEPF released a further 5.7km².

Survey in 2010[25]

Mine clearance in 2010

In 2010, Azerbaijan cleared more than 1.25km² of mined areas, with the destruction of just 28 antipersonnel mines, suggesting a very low density of contamination in the remaining areas (see table below). IEPF conducted clearance in Gorandoy, Goygol, and Terter regions, while Dayag conducted clearance in Aghdam region.[26] In 2009, 1.67km² of mined area was cleared.

As of the end of 2010, total mine clearance capacity consisted of three manual demining teams each with 38 personnel, six demining machines, and 32 MDDs and their handlers, the same as in 2009.[27]

Mine clearance in 2010[28]

* As set out below a further 19 antipersonnel mines and 22 antivehicle mines were destroyed during BAC and EOD operations in 2010.

Clearance of cluster munition contaminated area in 2010

No cluster munition remnants were cleared in 2010.[29] In 2006, at Saloglu, 16 “9M 27 K” cluster munition rockets were destroyed (each rocket has 24 submunitions). In 2007, 181 “Z-O-13” cluster munition artillery shells were destroyed (each item has eight submunitions). In 2008–2010, no cluster munition remnants were found at Saloglu.[30]

Battle area clearance and explosive ordnance disposal in 2010

On 1 April 2009, the third phase of the “Clearance of UXO in Saloglu project” started. The project is being conducted with the NATO Partnership for Peace Trust Fund and the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency. Subsurface clearance in 2010 cleared 656,192m² of contaminated land, finding and destroying 55,271 items of UXO. At the end of 2010, 94% of the contaminated area had been cleared. Within this cleared area 95% of the UXO found in Azerbaijan has been found in Saloglu.[31]

On 10 June 2009, ANAMA began clearance of the abandoned ASA in Guzdek village.[32] Through 31 December 2010, ANAMA’s Special Operations Team (created specifically for the Guzdek clearance project) had cleared 1,430,858m² of land, destroying in the process 42 antipersonnel mines, six antivehicle mines, and 9,018 items of ERW, including nine antipersonnel mines, six antivehicle mines, and 5,790 items of ERW while clearing 94,605m² in 2010.[33]

Battle area clearance in 2010[34]

Roving clearance/EOD call-outs in 2010

ANAMA’s Emergency Response Operations based in Fizuli, Aghdam, Terter, Guzdek and Agstafa are tasked with EOD after receiving requests from state, non-state, and regional authorities. The variety of locations where UXO have been found illustrates the wide coverage. In 2010, EOD teams completed 31 tasks including clearing UXO at a fruit juice factory in Beylaqan; on the grounds of a milk factory in Agstafa; at oil refineries near Baku; at the base of a television tower near Baku; in villages in Terter and Fizuli; and residences.[35] In total, during 2010 the Emergency Response Teams destroyed 2,509 items of UXO, 10 antipersonnel mines, and six antivehicle mines.

Quality management

Internal quality assurance (QA) is carried out by the team engaged in clearance while external QA is the sole responsibility of ANAMA’s TSQAD. This consists of the division head, one Sampling QA/QC Team (one team leader, one section leader, six deminers, and two drivers) with MDDs and handlers where needed. Quality control (QC) is conducted immediately after clearance is completed, through sampling in accordance with International Mine Action Standards.[36] Given this capacity, ANAMA has now stopped using the “exchange method” in which one demining team was used to conduct external QA/QC of an area cleared by another team.[37]

A total of 212 monitoring missions were conducted during 2010 compared to 189 in 2009.[38] Based on the Clearance Completion Reports, external QC checks were conducted by the TSQAD on 31 sites (2.6km²) of which 15 were minefields (0.3km²) and 16 battle areas (2.3km²). Most of the QC checks were implemented by the Sampling Team consisting of 10 deminers and two MDD groups.[39]

Safety of demining personnel

No injuries occurred to demining personnel in 2010.[40]

Other Risk Reduction Measures

In 2010, mine/ERW risk education (RE) activities were implemented by ANAMA’s risk education department officers, ANAMA’s clearance groups (when conditions do not allow them to engage in demining), and ANAMA’s two NGO implementing partners: Dayag and IEPF. Since 2004, when a memorandum of understanding was signed between ANAMA and the Ministry of Education on integrating RE into the school curriculum, each year 52,000 secondary school students in 1,200 schools have attended RE classes.[41]