Climate Change and Extreme Weather: How Can Mine Action Programs Adapt to Our Changing Environment?

Extreme weather events around the world are already impacting land that is contaminated with explosive ordnance (EO). Chronicling these events is not yet standardized, but these events will become more frequent as our climate changes. The uncertainty around climate change, related risks, and how these will regionally impact mine action operations makes it difficult to prioritize and plan for mitigation and adaptation measures. With limited guidance currently in place for the mine action sector, the introduction of climate change adaptation principles must be supported, and operational and risk management plans must be scrutinized to ensure that any additional climate change–related risks can be effectively managed. This would have the potential to reduce future impacts on operations, improve the efficacy of current work, and help build climate resilience for EO-affected communities