During the past 40 years, combatants in a variety of conflicts have increasingly used antipersonnel land mines to depopulate communities; deny access to roads, bridges, and airports; defend borders; create unclaimed lands; and cripple local economies. In addition, throughout the modern history of military conflict, Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) have presented a consistent threat to civilian communities living in proximity to these dangerous items. In the late 1980s, the international community began the struggle to systematically address the land mine and ERW problem. The first wide-scale humanitarian mine action activities occurred in Afghanistan 14 years ago. Since then, major programs have also commenced in Angola, Bosnia, Cambodia, Croatia, Herzegovina, Iraq, Laos, and Mozambique and numerous other ERW-contaminated lands. ERW is a problem in as many as 60 nations around the globe.

Effective planning and prioritization have been hindered in most mine-affected countries because of a lack of complete and reliable data regarding the scope of contamination and impact of land mines and other ERW upon communities.

In 1998, to address this deficiency, the international community mandated establishment of the Survey Working Group (SWG) consisting of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations working in the mine action sector. SWG's overarching objective is to facilitate the conduct of land mine impact surveys in the countries most affected by land mines and other ERW. Since its inception, SWG has developed international standards for land mine impact surveys that have been established as part of the United Nations-administered International Mine Action Standards. The Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (V VAF) Information Management and Mine Action Programs (iMMAP), independently or in partnership with other NGOs, have completed land mine impact surveys in Chad, Kosovo, Lebanon, Thailand, and Yemen and are currently conducting land mine impact surveys in Iraq and Vietnam. iMMAP has also conducted land mine/ERW emergency surveys in Afghanistan and Iraq.

For more information about V VAF's iMMAP and other programs, visit vvaf.org.