Author : Maya Joseph Yammine
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (787 download)
Book Synopsis The Impact of Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance on the Human and Land Resources of South Lebanon by : Maya Joseph Yammine
Download or read book The Impact of Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance on the Human and Land Resources of South Lebanon written by Maya Joseph Yammine and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conflicts between Israel and Lebanon left South Lebanon with a large legacy of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). These explosives rendered large area s of land inaccessible to local communities. The objectives of this study were 1) to describe the situation regarding the number, distribution and impact of lan dmines and UXO in South Lebanon in the pre and post-July war periods; and 2) to give a primary evaluation of the financial losses caused by landmines and UXO in South Lebanon. In order to reach objective 1, a thorough review of the related documents was p erformed along with interviews with concerned individuals. For objective 2, the geographic information system (GIS) software was used to determine the land use of dangerous areas. Cultured lands were sorted according to crop type. The finan cial losses due to decreased agricultural output were determined based on the yi eld per hectare and price of the crop. Results showed that 12 million square meters were infested with 400,000 landmin es between May 2000 and May 2004. Mine clearance released 5 million square meter s and destroyed 19,000 landmines. After the July 2006 war, 35 million square met ers were left infested with some 1 million bomblets. A yearly loss of 0.5 millio n US$ for farmers was observed between May 2000 and May 2004. This figure decrea sed to a yearly 0.2 million US$ between May 2004 and July 2006, and increased to 7.5 million US$ starting August 2006. The bulk of the landmine and UXO problem remained in 2004 even after mine-clear ance and has increased in scope in the post-July war period. The dimensions of t his problem are still unclear since new cluster bomb sites are still being disco vered at the time of writing. These devices have claimed land of exceptional aes thetic value as well as agricultural lands that are important sources of livelih ood for the concerned communities. In conclusion, this study has grouped the available knowledge in a single docum ent. It has also adapted the use of GIS technology to identify the land use of d angerous areas and offered a primary evaluation of the losses suffered by farmer s.