Clearing landmines – supporting The HALO Trust
Lucy Hamilton, KOREC Group
HALO Sri Lanka staff using the R1 connected via Bluetooth to tablet for data entry into Survey123 in the field. The programme is using the R1 and R2 to map clearance progress, mine lines, firing points and wells on the Muhamalai minefield, one of the largest and most heavily contaminated minefields in the world.
ACCURATE surveys and clear, up-to-date maps have been key factors in The HALO Trust’s aim to ‘make land safe, save lives and help families rebuild their lives’ through its worldwide mine removal programme.
Established more than 30 years ago, HALO (Hazardous Area Life-support Organisation) is a British charity and American non-profit organisation specialising in the removal of debris left behind by war.
HALO operates in war-torn countries and territories around the world and now employs over 9,000 men and women, 98% of whom come from the impacted communities.
As a charity, HALO receives funding from governments and institutions, including the UK government, but is also dependent on support from the public and other sources. KOREC are helping support the charity with the use of their Trimble GNSS technology.
Operational efficiency – accurate maps are key
Accurate maps are key to the trust’s work in a number of ways. These maps include the creation of boundaries clearly delineating areas to be cleared, the assessment of threat in certain areas and the actual position of each landmine after clearance.
However, one of the most important maps that HALO will create is the one that is presented to the local community and national authorities on completion of a successful clearance operation.
This map provides vital visual information on reclaimed areas which will allow local communities to access their land and infrastructure again.
All of these maps are reliant on the quality of data captured in the field and for many years The HALO Trust has managed adequately using handheld GPS systems, traditional survey methods and paper maps.
The trust’s global GIS and database officer, Jesse Hamlin, knew that operations could be improved through the use of different technology.
He was also aware that a move to new GNSS hardware would need to factor in many considerations if the systems were to be suitable for use worldwide by a non-technical workforce of men and women from local communities.
GNSS priorities
Jesse came to KOREC with a clear idea of the type of system that the Trust would find most beneficial for its landmine clearance projects, including:
- The ability to deliver decimetre, or more, positions for some projects, and 25-50 centimetres for others.
- GNSS systems that could be used by a local workforce.
- GNSS hardware compatible with HALO’s existing Esri field apps and office software for data collection and transfer straight into the organisation’s database and GIS for immediate use.
- Worldwide use, especially in areas with no mobile phone coverage.
- Portable and discreet in appearance for use in countries with political unrest.
- Systems supported by advice and adjustment suggestions.
- Hardware costs in line with HALO’s charitable status and budget.
- Avoidance of a daily base station set up for corrections – it would be costly, time-consuming to set up, require power, and reduce the team’s ability to move quickly between sites, plus it may not be secure in some areas.
Consultation
KOREC’s business manager for mapping, Richard Gauchwin, assisted HALO by trialling two different systems; Trimble R1 and Trimble R2. Both of these use RTX technology for submetre accuracy via IP or satellite.
HALO Libya staff using the R2 connected via Bluetooth to tablet for data entry into Survey123 in the field. The programme is using the R2 to map rubble piles contaminated with unexploded ordnance, which will be subsequently cleared at a later date.
Trimble R1
Mapping work during each mine clearance project, is rewarded by the final map [presented] to the local community and national authorities at the end of the clearance project... it allows them to have confidence, once again, to safely use the land.
A compact, handheld receiver, the R1 can be connected to any mobile device using Bluetooth connectivity – in this case a smartphone or tablet running Esri ArcGIS Survey123. The R1 delivers 20-50 centimetre accuracy using RTX corrections and requires no base station setup. The trust’s mobile teams could make use of this to move sites daily.
The R1 is also discrete and portable making it easy to transport and use in areas of political unrest.
Trimble R2
Capable of delivering between submetre and centimetre positions, the R2, allows for the mapping of explosive remnants of war in close proximity to one another. While a flexible system, it is more prominent than the R1, and can be operated mounted on a pole, a backpack or a vehicle.
The trust used it as a base station during its recent introduction of drone surveys. It was helpful in areas with poor accuracy, such as next to tall buildings in Libya or in dense forest jungle in Sri Lanka, the R2.
Features taken using the R1 and R2 by the Sri Lanka programme on one of the sectors of Muhamalai minefield. Understanding the nature of the battle which took place on the minefield helps HALO’s operations understand better the nature of the threat and clear the minefield.
The final map
Jesse concluded that their mapping work during each mine clearance project, is rewarded by the final map that they then present to the local community and national authorities at the end of the clearance project. One which shows precise, visual information on the areas that they have cleared as it allows them to have confidence, once again, to safely use the land.
Lucy Hamilton, KOREC