World environment day: restoring land for a safer future

5 June 2024 / Orlane Lagarde

Armed conflicts not only leave an indelible mark on the lives of millions of people, but also devastate the environment, wildlife and biodiversity. Years after the fighting, mines and explosive remnants of war continue to contaminate the soil, affecting farmland, forests and waterways.

Humanitarian demining is essential to clear the soil of explosive-related contaminants, and to enable the restoration of ecosystems.

In all its demining operations, FSD strives to limit the environmental footprint of its work. The use of clearance methods that respect flora and fauna as well as the use of renewable energies is a priority. Furthermore, FSD is working in partnership with environmental experts.

*In Ukraine, FSD is working with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to provide samples of cleared soil to better understand the environmental impacts of contamination and the soil’s health.*

The countries where FSD operates are often among the most vulnerable to climate change. This is the case in Tajikistan, where FSD runs environmental projects alongside demining operations to support the resilience of local communities in the face of drought and declining biodiversity. A project to clear land contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has also been underway for several years.

*In Tajikistan, the layer of soil contaminated by toxic pesticides is removed and replaced by clean soil, helping to reduce the effects on the community, food chain, and to restore local ecosystems.*

Among its initiatives in Tajikistan, FSD is implementing a tree-planting project in communities affected by POPs and the climate crisis to help reduce soil erosion, desertification and to support biodiversity. In these same communities, FSD is raising awareness about sustainable agriculture and is helping communities to build greenhouses to make better use of resources all year round.

*In 2023, FSD provided three new greenhouses in localities particularly affected by POPs, climate shocks and food insecurity in Tajikistan.*

FSD also integrates environmental sustainability perspectives into its victim assistance activities. In Colombia, survivors of armed conflict are supported in setting up urban vegetable gardens, which provide them with a stable source of income and promote their social reintegration. These urban gardens use hydroponic structures to grow vegetables and aromatic plants, encouraging sustainable and local production.

*The hydroponic structures are installed directly on the balconies of the beneficiaries. In 2023, FSD’s urban gardens project supported 150 victims of the conflict in Colombia.*

Finally, FSD is working at an institutional level to integrate environmental priorities into international demining programmes, in particular by participating in the Environmental Issue and Mine Action working group created in 2020.

A safer future not only means a future without mines, but also a sustainable world for future generations.

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