Egypt is contaminated with Landmines, Unexploded Ordnances (UXO), and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) which are normally buried under deep layers of sand and mud from World War II. Most of the battles took place in the area between the Quattara Depression and Alamein at the Mediterranean Coast. Other affected areas lie
around the city of Marsa Matruh and at Sallum near the Libyan border. In addition, ERW from armed conflicts between Egypt and Israel in 1956, 1967, and 1973 remains to be cleared, especially in the eastern areas (Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea Coast). No reliable figures
for the extent of contamination exist. The joint Egypt/UNDP project document of November 2006 referred to 2,680 km^2 of contaminated area, which is almost four times the estimated contaminated area in Afghanistan. Similarly, the number of landmines, UXO and ERW
that remain to be cleared can be little more than speculation. The Egyptian army has estimated that 16.7 million explosive items have still to be found, including both antipersonnel landmines (APL) and
anti-tank landmines (ATL) and much larger quantities of UXO. This problem has a serious impact on Egypt National Income.
This paper presents the scope of Egypt landmine problem and its available official data as a first step to select the most suitable techniques for safe detection and removal of such landmines. It also addresses some landmine research topics: area reduction techniques,
sensors design, detection and removal equipment. The paper is organized in the following main sections:
· Scope of Egypt Landmine Problem
· Egypt Landmine Monitoring Reports
· Survey of Demining Techniques
· NSF Landmine Research
· International Funded Landmine Projects |
