Humanitarian demining involves more than removing explosive hazards. Identifying priority areas, assessing the condition of cleared land and ensuring that it can safely return to productive use are equally important. Ukraine is strengthening cooperation with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, across these areas.
Pilot project in Izium District
One of the key areas of cooperation is a pilot project in Izium District, Kharkiv region. During working meetings, the parties discussed the recovery schedule, safety measures and approaches to identifying land that should be prioritised for survey and recovery.
Prioritisation considers not only mine contamination data but also the needs of local communities and the potential for land to return to economic use.
GRIT: using data to set priorities
Ukraine is developing the GRIT system to support prioritisation. It combines humanitarian demining data with information on infrastructure damage and the socioeconomic situation.
Ukraine and JICA also discussed further development of the platform, including an AI-based module for assessing building damage and updates to economic and social prioritisation methodologies in Kharkiv region.
This approach helps integrate mine action into the broader process of territorial recovery rather than treating clearance as an isolated activity.
What happens to land after clearance
Removing explosive hazards does not necessarily mean that land can immediately return to agricultural use. Its soil condition and safety may also need to be assessed.
Ukraine and JICA discussed establishing a Soil Analysis Center of Excellence. Rather than creating a single new institution, the concept involves a network of Ukrainian laboratories and scientific organisations working under common methods for sampling, analysis and soil assessment.
The Soil Protection Institute of Ukraine is expected to serve as a core institution within the network. JICA may support the initiative through international expertise, training and study visits to Japan.
Demining as part of community recovery
The cooperation between Ukraine and JICA reflects a broader approach to humanitarian demining — from identifying priority contaminated areas and conducting clearance to assessing land condition and enabling its safe future use.
For communities and the agricultural sector, the objective is not simply to clear land but to return safe and usable territory to people and the economy.
PSM Ukraine Group supports an integrated approach to humanitarian demining in which survey, clearance, documentation and the safe return of land to use form part of one coordinated process.
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