Manual mine clearance

Manual mine clearance is the systematic detection, excavation and removal or destruction of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) by trained deminers working in marked lanes with metal detectors, prodders and excavation tools. GEODE helps national mine action authorities, international organisations, NGOs and private operators plan, train, supervise and quality-manage manual demining projects, and mobilises the operational capacity of the DEMINETEC Group when field teams are required.

What manual demining involves

Manual clearance remains the reference method for releasing land to a defined depth with a high level of confidence, particularly in vegetation, rocky ground, village surroundings and areas where machines cannot operate. Each deminer works in a marked lane: vegetation is cut, the ground is searched with a detector, each signal is investigated by prodding and excavation, and every item found is identified and destroyed or removed according to approved procedures. Productivity depends on soil, vegetation, metal contamination and the threat, which is why planning and quality management matter as much as the work in the lane.

What GEODE delivers

• Project design and planning: threat assessment, clearance requirements (area, depth, expected items), team structure, resources and timelines.
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs) aligned with the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) and national standards.
• Training and capacity building: basic deminer, team leader, EOD and QA/QC modules designed and delivered on site, including training of trainers.
• Quality management: accreditation support, quality assurance (QA) monitoring of operators and quality control (QC) of cleared land before handover.
• Technical advisers and team leaders deployed to support national programmes and operators.
• Clearance operations delivered with the DEMINETEC Group, combining manual and mechanical means where relevant.

Applicable standards

Standard	Scope
IMAS 09.10	Clearance requirements
IMAS 07.11	Land release (Edition 2, January 2026)
IMAS 09.30	Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD)

Full texts are published by the International Mine Action Standards.

Relevant experience

• Tajikistan: training of deminers, team leaders, NTS/TS teams, EOD Level 2 operators and QA/QC agents; support to the quality management of the national programme.
• Republic of the Congo: quality control of clearance operations at the former Lokossa ammunition depot (1,248 m², several thousand rounds removed by a demining team over three months).
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: monitoring of demining projects and training.
• Azerbaijan: technical support and quality management.

Frequently asked questions

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