Whether "smart bombs" or "surgical warfare "; the use of euphemisms to mask and justify the use of "intelligent weapons" must not make their employment less alarming. In view of the serious problems caused by antipersonnel mines lying in fields and wastelands in many regions of the world, the temptation arises to draw a dividing line between "good" and "evil" weapons technology. Every single day, explosions of bomb duds and antipersonnel mines continue to bring suffering and death especially to people not involved in combat operation, mostly to women and children. long after fighting has ceased.

A "stupid" weapon

Perhaps we do have to differentiate between "intelligent" and "stupid". As Reto Häni, software specialist at the ETH Zurich's Center for Security Studies, puts it, mines are "very stupid weapons". "They continue to kill and maim years and decades after a conflict has been resolved". According to an estimate of the US State Department there are 50 million mines world-wide lying in the ground.

IMSMA data, partly accessible to all via the database, is of vital importance to the population and de-mining experts. large

"The victims of the consequences are civilians for the main part, and in ever greater measure," says Andreas Wenger, head of research and professor at the ETH Center for Security Studies. . "Under prevailing circumstances, humanitarian de-mining is of growing importance. In addition, reconstruction work cannot be tackled in the former regions of conflict before each and every mine has been destroyed," he adds (see box).

World-wide recognition

The misery caused by antipersonnel landmines has been common knowledge since 1997 when the Ottawa convention issued an international ban on antipersonnel landmines in the Mine Ban Treaty (1). Andreas Wenger and Reto Häni aimeto tackle the problem using information technology. A seemingly high-flying goal, but not unreachable as it turns out. Because the "Information Management System for Mine Action" (IMSMA), developed by their team of 15 scientists, obtained UN approval and has also been adopted as standard by other international organisations, as well as the EU and the USA.

IMSMA is an electronic information system for humanitarian landmine removal and is now in use in 29 countries, the most recent application area being Iraq. IMSMA is a combination of database and GIS, a geographical information system. It allows a quick and accurate way of assessing a given situation. The system is fed on site with a host of data on the size and location of existing minefield and ammunition, which lies about. The source of this information comes from reports of accidents caused by landmines, for example, mine maps from the former warring parties or individual trove reports.

Setting priorities – a must

In interviews, the population of the areas to be cleared are warned about and informed of the danger posed by mines. The number of mines is only one criterion, however. "In a school, for instance, a couple of mines pose a very great danger," Reto Häni explains. "At the other end of the scale, the potential danger from a strongly-mined, but impassable and little-used wasteland is low and clearing does not, therefore, have priority."

A major contribution to international efforts in mine clearance: heads of the IMSMA project, Reto Häni (left) and Andreas Wenger, ETH Professor at the ETH Centre for Security Studies and Conflict Research. large

By taking the habits and needs of the local population into account, IMSMA provides mechanisms to (locally) prioritise the danger of exploding mines case by case, for example, with country-specific algorithms and the consideration of such criteria as the distances of mine fields to roads, hospitals or airports.

Based on this information IMSMA then draws up a relevant danger map that can be continually updated and passed on to the parties involved and de-mining specialists . On the basis of these maps, decisions can be made on where to start clearance, "and not on a gut level". Reto Häni stresses that scarce de-mining resources can thus be used to obtain maximum benefit.

Help with a Sisyphean task

Time is the decisive factor when it comes to de-mining. A quick estimation of the damage likely to arise from each mined location can therefore save lives. IMSMA opens up promising perspectives, here. In addition, when de-mining experts can depend on an approved technological standard, they have more time and resources to spend on the actual clearance. Clearance itself is an arduous, almost Sisyphean task, often taking years to conclude. "Without IMSMA our job would have been far more difficult," says John Flanagan, head of UNO's de-mining centre in Kosovo, where all known mines had been cleared by 2001. It was here that IMSMA was in operative mission for the first time, enabling the rapid collection, analysis and prioritisation of a huge pile of data.

Mine clearance: Switzerland has its say

Switzerland has become a major force amongst the many states and NGOs engaged in the fight against landmines following the Ottawa Convention. Indeed, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian De-mining (3) was founded in 1998 following an initiative of the then Federal Councillor, Adolf Ogi. In this context the resolution, passed by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport, to fund the development of IMSMA by ETH specialists and to bear the costs was equally important. The costs this year at ETH Zurich have been just over two million Swiss francs. The Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich had already demonstrated with the ISN (International Relations and Security Network) (4), how information technology could be put to the service of peace research and now develops IMSMA for the GICHD.