When it comes to clearing landmines, survey teams must first determine which areas of land are mined, and which are clear. The next step is to safely remove the mines.

AUSTCARE supports an innovative and highly effective method of identifying mine-infested land: we use sniffer dogs. Highly trained dogs, usually German Shepherds or Labradors, work with experienced handlers to detect landmines. The dogs are able to sniff out explosives, identifying plastic mines as well as metal. The dogs are trained to stop when they smell explosive nearby. The area is marked and manual deminers later move in to finish the job.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the sniffer dogs is that they can confirm landmine-free areas at a rate much faster than any other method. Communities can then put land back to use sooner. AUSTCARE's landmine clearance work is carried out in partnership with partner organisation Norwegian People's Aid in countries such as Bosnia and Angola.

EDUCATION | MINE CLEARANCE | REHABILITATION | SKILLS TRANSFER