External Assessment of DDG\u27s Humanitarian Mine Action Programme in Somaliland

Danish Demining Group began operations in Somaliland in 1999, responding to a perceived need at the time. Over the following nine years, their operations removed significant numbers of mines and UXO and removed countless communities and individuals from the threat of mines and UXO. As time went on however, the organisation appeared to shift focus from a Danish Demining Group, to an organisation with a different set of objectives. That shift was initially away from mine clearance – understandable given the ongoing removal of landmines – and subsequently away from UXO clearance/removal – again, an understandable decision. This report considers the programme from its inception to its closure. It looks at the development of the programme, the inevitable changes any programme would pass through, but also the more significant decisions made by DDG. While a number of the changes the programme went through came under strong criticism from other stakeholders, the rationale is explored in the report and, while there is little hard evidence to clarify, the report believes that the decisions made were the correct ones for the time of the programme and given the developmental stage of Somaliland. DDG provided a strong presence and contribution to mine action in Somaliland and to the improvement of the quality of life of many. Their focus has now shifted across to SALW where it is believed that the impact that can be achieved from the resources available will be much more significant than in the mine action sector. This is a brave move by DDG, and one that should make other mine action organisations in some environments consider their positions

The GICHD Land Release Project

In the past, inconsistent and inefficient methods of identifying and clearing mines and unexploded ordnance have wasted precious demining resources and left affected areas contaminated. In 2006, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Deming recognized the need for a more effective land-release process in the international mine-action community and subsequently developed the Land Release Project

Towards A Better Mine Action Programme: Master of Science Dissertation

This dissertation sets out to assess how the global community has dealt with landmines and the damage they are having on the population. The study analyses the development of two programmes in particular in Cambodia and Mozambique - and then considers the influences that culture and organisational structure have on those organisations. Taking these lessons, the study analyses the best methods of implementation and recommends a number of areas worthy of consideration in the development of future mine action organisations

Strategic Planning in Yemen

The first ever Landmine Impact Survey was completed in Yemen in July 2000 by the Mine Clearance Planning Agency. With the help of Cranfield Mine Action, Yemen has been developing a strategy to maximize the efficiency of its mine action program

Evaluation Report of Technical Survey Operations Within the Cambodian Mine Action Centre

The evaluation considered technical survey activities at both the technical and strategic levels in order to assess the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) technical survey capacity established in 2003. The assessment was conducted in four phases. The first phase was a document study which enabled the evaluation team to gain an understanding of the procedures and processes used within CMAC for technical survey. The second phase involved interviews with key stakeholders in Phnom Penh, and phase three consisted of a series of field visits to CMAC technical survey assets operating in Demining Units 1, 2, and 3. The fourth and final phase consisted of confirmatory interviews in Phnom Penh and a debrief to CMAC Head Quarter

Introducing Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment

This article describes the Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment and how it seeks to contextualize ERW-related risks at community, mine-action-operator, national-authority and donor levels in order to prioritize community aid so funds are used effectively and communities receive the assistance they need

SIDA DDG Evaluation

On 1 March 2008 Danish Demining Group (DDG) entered into a two-year agreement with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) to implement the project Survey, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) and Mine Risk Education in Southern Sudan . The project aims to support the repatriation process for refugees and IDPs in South Sudan by providing a safe environment for the returnees and communities, and facilitating the work of humanitarian organisations. As the project is scheduled to end in 2010, Sida and DDG decided to commission an evaluation to inform the decision concerning a possible extension. The evaluation was conducted by a team fielded by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) in the period February-March 2010

Evidence for niche differentiation in the environmental responses of co-occurring mucoromycotinian fine root endophytes and glomeromycotinian arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Fine root endophytes (FRE) were traditionally considered a morphotype of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), but recent genetic studies demonstrate that FRE belong within the subphylum Mucoromycotina, rather than in the subphylum Glomeromycotina with the AMF. These findings prompt enquiry into the fundamental ecology of FRE and AMF. We sampled FRE and AMF in roots of Trifolium subterraneum from 58 sites across temperate southern Australia. We investigated the environmental drivers of composition, richness, and root colonization of FRE and AMF by using structural equation modelling and canonical correspondence analyses. Root colonization by FRE increased with increasing temperature and rainfall but decreased with increasing phosphorus (P). Root colonization by AMF increased with increasing soil organic carbon but decreased with increasing P. Richness of FRE decreased with increasing temperature and soil pH. Richness of AMF increased with increasing temperature and rainfall but decreased with increasing soil aluminium (Al) and pH. Aluminium, soil pH, and rainfall were, in decreasing order, the strongest drivers of community composition of FRE; they were also important drivers of community composition of AMF, along with temperature, in decreasing order: rainfall, Al, temperature, and soil pH. Thus, FRE and AMF showed the same responses to some (e.g. soil P, soil pH) and different responses to other (e.g. temperature) key environmental factors. Overall, our data are evidence for niche differentiation among these co-occurring mycorrhizal associates

Termite sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rates.

Deadwood is a large global carbon store with its store size partially determined by biotic decay. Microbial wood decay rates are known to respond to changing temperature and precipitation. Termites are also important decomposers in the tropics but are less well studied. An understanding of their climate sensitivities is needed to estimate climate change effects on wood carbon pools. Using data from 133 sites spanning six continents, we found that termite wood discovery and consumption were highly sensitive to temperature (with decay increasing >6.8 times per 10°C increase in temperature)-even more so than microbes. Termite decay effects were greatest in tropical seasonal forests, tropical savannas, and subtropical deserts. With tropicalization (i.e., warming shifts to tropical climates), termite wood decay will likely increase as termites access more of Earth's surface

Impact of condensed tannin containing legumes on ruminal fermentation, nutrition and performance in ruminants: a review

Legume forages, such as sainfoin, and birdsfoot trefoil can increase the forage quality and quantity of western Canadian pastures, thus increasing producer profitability due to increased gains in grazing ruminants, while reducing risk of bloat in legume pastures due to the presence of proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins (CT) are secondary plant polyphenol compounds that have been regarded as anti-nutritional due to their ability to bind protein in feeds, enzymes, and microbial cells, therefore disrupting microbial digestion and slowing ruminal protein and dry matter digestion. Research has shown that at high concentrations (>50 g kg-1 DM), CT can disrupt microbial digestion. However, at low dietary inclusion rates (5-10 g kg-1 DM) they reduce bloat risk, and increase ruminal undegradable protein (RUP), reduce enteric methane production, and confer anthelmintic activity. Yet, research gaps still exist regarding grazing persistence and forage yield of novel CT containing forages and their biological activity due to their vast differences in CT stereochemistry, polymer size, and intermolecular linkages. The objectives of this review are to summarize information regarding the impact of CT on ruminal fermentation, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and the potential to identify and select for forages that contain condensed tannins for ruminant production.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author