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Environmental protection

FSD remediates sites contaminated with toxic substances inherited from the past: obsolete pesticides and waste from uranium mining and heavy metals.

bags being removed at contaminated sites
Tajikistan (2018) – bags of soil contaminated with toxic pesticides are ready to be transferred to the national centre in Vahksh.

Toxic pesticides buried in the soil are a constant threat to populations.

Many Tajiks now live on top of old pesticide stocks buried in the ground without knowing the real dangers they pose. As they seep into water and crops, these pesticides contaminate the food chain and affect the health of villagers.

FSD is raising awareness of the risks involved, and working on solutions that will end this contamination for good.

Environmental protection

Obsolete pesticides

Since 2016, FSD has been working to clean up land contaminated by ancient stocks of pesticides in Tajikistan. For the moment, it is above all a matter of moving the masses of contaminated land to secure places and replacing them with clean soil. At the same time, FSD is working with the United Nations to develop a technique to remediate contaminated soil in order to solve the problem for good.

current operation

Tajikistan
un homme creusant avec une pelle

Environmental protection

Uranium

FSD has carried out several projects to repair and remediate the effects of legacy uranium mining waste in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. This ranged from conducting scientific analysis of water and ground pollution levels and environmental impact analyses to implementing physical construction of walls and fences, repair of top cover soils on waste piles, water testing and design of filtration measures for local communities. FSD conducted all of this along with the Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites (CGULS) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 2014 to 2020.

current operation

Tajikistan
tas de terre irradié à l'Uranium

Environmental protection

Heavy metals

In combination with its obsolete pesticide remediation work, FSD also encountered many additional industrial legacy pollution sites; many of these were as a result of mining heavy metals (Mercury, Lead and Zinc for example). Notably, FSD participated in activities to survey and analyse the effects of waste soils from heavy metal mining sites in Kyrgyzstan which included water testing for trace metals, health screening in affected communities and the design of remediation measures to limit the leaching of toxic metals into the local environment and to provide safer food and water access.

current operation

Tajikistan
un homme vérifie le matériel de la FSD

Environmental protection

Tree Planting and Bioremediation

There has been a growing international focus on protecting large rain forests and areas of biodiversity across the world to reduce the impacts of climate change. FSD’s environmental programmes lend themselves to this effort as trees help stabilise the soil, prevent wind erosion and reduce flooding. As an initial pilot project, FSD will be planting 5,000 trees in Tajikistan at the central land waste repository at Vakhsh.

current operation

Tajikistan
des équipes de la FSD se préparent à partir sur le terrain avec leurs voitures

News from the field

FSD, it’s them.
Every day, they put their courage and expertise to work to make the world a safer place. Read the testimonials and stories from our employees around the world.

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Machine gun ammunition at the waste dump

Machine gun ammunition at the waste dump

In eastern Ukraine, the poverty caused by the armed conflict has led many people to collect and sell scrap metal to earn a little more money. This is a risky activity, which exposes them to landmines and unexploded ordnance. One day someone brought me an old bucket...

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Deminer’s anecdotes

Deminer’s anecdotes

Some time ago, FSD was invited to visit a sixth-grade class at the Florimont Institute in Geneva to talk to students about humanitarian demining. After the presentation, the children asked questions which were recorded and passed on to our deminers in the field. This...

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Pastor and risk education volunteer

Pastor and risk education volunteer

" I take advantage of my sermons to talk about unexploded ordnance " Joselito Remedios, 54, is a pastor and an explosive ordnance risk education provider. For the past year, he has been a member of the Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD)’s volunteer team in the...

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Our activities

Our humanitarian programs focus on four main areas. 

1-MINES

mine action

FSD locates and clears mines and unexploded ordnance, provides explosive ordnance risk education and assists survivors of accidental explosions.

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2-RELEVEMENT

recovery & stability

FSD supports ongoing peace processes in various countries and provides socio-economic support to communities.
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3-PROTECTION-

Environmental protection

FSD remediates sites contaminated by toxic substances from the past, including obsolete pesticide stocks and mining waste.
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4-INNOVATION-

innovation &
technology

FSD collaborates on research & innovation projects aiming to use new technologies, such as drones, in mine action.

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your support is precious

Demining is a technical and time-consuming task that requires a sustained commitment over time. Want to help make the world a safer place?

 

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