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Cambodian Mine Action Standards(CMAS)
Chapter 14
Baseline Survey
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Secretary-GeneralCambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance AuthorityNew Building St. 273/516Toul SangkeToul KorkPhnom PenhFax: +885-23-881-308
Email [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]8/3/2019 CMAS 14 BLS
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AMENDMENTS
Page & Paragraph Amendment Date
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1- INTRODUCTION
1.1 As part of consideration of a new national clearance plan to follow the review of the NationalStrategy for Mine Action and submission of the Article Five Extension Request, CMAA formed a
Mine Clearance Technical Reference Group (TRG) made up of the three accredited humanitarianmine clearance operators: CMAC, MAG and HALO Trust. The TRG produced a statement for theconsideration of CMAA that reflected its views on future challenges facing the sector.
1.2 A key component of the statement recommended the undertaking of a Baseline Survey oftwenty one key mine affected districts. The following are relevant experts from the statementsmade:
Operators have reached broad agreement on what types of land demining resources shouldbe directed towards clearing over the next ten years & what type of land constitutes anacceptable level of threat; the sensitivity of the precise definition of these classificationsfrom the perspective of the Article 5 Extension Request and donor sensibilities is recognizedand appreciated.
The starting point for the new national clearance plan is an operator conducted BaselineSurvey of RGC selected mine-affected Districts identified and based on the humanitarianimpact.
The Baseline Survey will proceed using three main land classification categories; furtherdetail of these will be drafted in a separate paper (Annex A Land Classification Document);
o Classification A Mined Areao Classification B Residual Threato Classification C End State Land
It is considered vital that the Baseline Survey be conducted by trained technical survey stafffrom accredited Operators, using fully standardized survey protocols adopted as a newnational standard and imparted through a formal Survey Retraining Program.
The Baseline Survey will feed updated data on mined areas to the CMAA DBU who will workclosely with Operators to validate and consolidate new information with existing datasets.
The L1S of 2002 survey data will be superseded by the findings of the Baseline Survey.
In Districts where the Baseline Survey has yet to be undertaken, the L1S will remain a keyreference point.
CMAA DBU will play the central, lead role in analysis of the Baseline Survey data in order tosupport a national level resource allocation policy.
Operators believe that effective prioritization of mined areas for clearance must incorporatethe technical knowledge of Operators. This conviction is based on the fact that the currentprioritization process has too often led to precious clearance resources being deployed onland where there are no mines.
Every polygon in Cambodia shall be classified as per the Land Classification table. MAPUand PMAC systems should take land classification into consideration when deciding on
prioritisation. It would be unusual for clearance assets to be prioritised onto B areas.
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A, B, C Areas do not define the priority. An A1 area does not automatically have a higherpriority than an A2, A3 or an A4 area. Priority shall be judged on a case by case basis andthe classification shall help inform the allocation of assets and resources to support thepriority.
Consideration should be given (as part of a wider strategic review) to developing a moreformal system of Village Mine Action Focal Points (similar to current CBMRR Volunteers andMAG CL processes) which can be fully integrated as a component of Mine Actionmanagement in Cambodia. Commune level offers a good opportunity for storing andmanaging information gathered at village level. This work will be integrated within a revisedwork programme for the MAPUs.
Existing networks will provide a critical contact point for the Survey teams and will allowdevelopment of a future village/commune impact-free scheme.
2- DEFINITION
The term Baseline Survey describes a survey activity undertaken to collect and analyse localinformation in order to determine size and classification of mine suspected land. The baselinesurvey may involve the use of limited clearance or verification assets. See table at Annex A LandClassification for detailed descriptions / definitions.
For Cambodia the term Baseline Survey replaces the term Non technical Survey. Any Nontechnical survey procedure shall follow the requirements detailed in CMAS 14.
3- SCOPE
This standard specifies the minimum requirements for conducting baseline survey in Cambodia,classifying land identified during the baseline survey, and it is not necessarily applicable for otherforms of survey that may be carried out in Cambodia in the future.
4- PURPOSE
To describe how the baseline survey will be conducted. The results of the survey will ensure scarceand expensive demining resources are directed towards the highest priority areas, while allowingaffected villages development organizations, and demining operators to jointly prioritise clearancetasks which have greatest humanitarian and development impact for the community. Data collectedwill be used to update the national database.
5- BASELINE SURVEY TEAM COMPOSITION
5.1 Minimum Composition:
Each baseline survey team should consist of at least 5 peoplea Team Leader and foursurveyors. If a survey team is to be split into two sections it is mandatory to have a qualifiedmedic and medical kit with each section.
5.2 Minimum qualifications of team:
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Qualified paramedics shall accompany the survey team but follow behind the other surveyteam members.Qualified and licensed driverSurveyors trained in both manual demining and survey
6- TRAINING AND STANDARDS
6.1 CMAA is responsible for the education and training (using a train-the-trainer format)involving all key stakeholders (i.e. CMAA, operators, PMAC/MAPU) with regard to the impacts andissues surrounding the implementation of the Baseline Survey. Training subjects will include:
Required changes to existing guidelines; Confirmation of minimum standards for survey and safety; Land Classification definitions, including case studies and working examples; Post-clearance land use definitions; Database and data management.
6.2 Only accredited operators will undertake the baseline survey, following SOPs explained inthis standard. Operators conducting the baseline survey shall be responsible for the training of thesurvey teams, in line with SOPs and all guidelines issued by CMAA.
7- SAFETY
7.1 The first priority for survey team leaders at all times is to ensure the safety of their team.Survey teams must not take unnecessary risks. They must only walk or drive where they know thatthe land is not mined, and when on foot must always follow a local guide on a well-established pathor cultivated/reclaimed land. If the survey team is in any doubt as to where the mined area starts
they must not proceed any further even if the guide claims the path is safe.
7.2 If it is essential for the survey team to walk on suspect ground, they must clear a breach lanefollowing operator approved SOPs.
7.3 When survey teams are working in the border areas, they must coordinate with appropriatelocal civil and military authorities to ensure full compliance with any restrictions of access. Thesurvey team should consider asking for a representative from the relevant local authority toaccompany them.
8- CASEVAC
All safety and CASEVAC procedures must be established, and communications tested prior to theconduct of survey, whether that be by road or by helicopter, in accordance with approved SOPs.Any team or section must be able to evacuate any casualty. It may be appropriate to useinformants or guides to assist in casualty evacuation (such as carrying a stretcher), however theyshall be briefed on their role, in event of CASEVAC, prior to the survey taking place.
9- TASKING
9.1 Operators are to be assigned key mine-affected districts by the CMAA as areas ofresponsibility. Operators are to conduct a comprehensive survey within their assigned areas ofresponsibility in a systematic commune by commune, village by village approach. The survey teamsare to assign a land classification, or make comment on all relevant pieces of ground identifiedduring the survey within that village before proceeding on to the next.
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9.2 In order to ensure the comprehensiveness of this survey, village leaders or assigned villagerepresentatives are to be briefed in and out of their village by the survey team, and are to sign offthat they are satisfied that all affected areas within their villages have either been surveyed andclassified, or made comment on for future survey (in the case where they are inaccessible at time offirst survey). The figure below provides the steps to be followed.
10- INFORMATION GATHERING
10.1 Both before and during survey, survey officers should consult all available sources ofinformation about known mine/UXO hazards and any recent accidents. They should make efforts tovisit and speak to as many inhabitants as possible, regardless of age or gender, in addition to thevillage chief. Sufficient time should be allocated for the most comprehensive survey using availableresources. The process, assessment, and the level (both qualitative and quantitative) of theinformation gathered will be detailed in the instructions (to be developed by CMAA in consultationwith the operators). In any village meetings maximum use should be made of participative mapping
(ie whiteboards/flipcharts) to try to gather/confirm as much information as possible about a villageand the hazards facing it.
10.2 Sources of information may include but are not limited to:
CMVIS reports and CMVIS data collectors. CBMRR, CBURR and Community Development Workers Network. Village/commune chiefs and deputies/VDC and CDC Former soldiers or militia who may have been involved in laying the mines Villagers who have been injured in the suspect area Villagers who have had family members or livestock killed in the suspect area Aerial photographs of target area Local officials responsible for environmental areas Any other locals who have been into or near the mined area.
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10.3 Survey teams are to acquire and analyse all existing survey and completed clearance databefore carrying out the field visit. Existing survey and clearance data may provide strong evidenceto support a particular land classification in a suspected area. Survey information is now included inthe national data pool at the CMAA and includes:
Maps and reports from CMAC survey (Confirmed Minefield reports, Suspected Minefieldreports, Residual Minefield reports, Village reports);
Maps and reports from HALOs survey (Minefield reports, Reclaimed Land reports); Maps and reports from MAGs survey (Reclaimed Land reports); Maps and reports from all operators on clearance (Completion reports); Maps and reports from CMVIS on (Accidents and Victims reports). Maps and report from
the Level One Survey (L1S): Village reports, Suspected Mined and Bomb Area reportsand UXO reports.
11- INTERNAL QUALITY CONTROL AND EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE
11.1 Quality of the gathered information must be assessed and taken into consideration beforeany new reports are created. It is important that data collection is done in an objective fashion toavoid subjective and un-verifiable statements. The surveyors must ensure that key informants usedhave the capacity and ability to give accurate and reliable information.
11.2 Operators conducting the Baseline Survey will utilise agreed internal QC systems to ensurethat the quality of information collected meets this standard.
11.3 CMAA has established through the Regulation and Monitoring Department and theDatabase Unit a QA regime which shall focus on the quality of the survey. The QA forms areprovided at Annex D. The Baseline Survey Unit, with in the R and M Department, shall beresponsible for the coordination and planning of the BLS.
11.4 Having mapped and demarcated all A and B suspect areas, the survey officer is to allocate aland classification for each polygon based on the land classification definition matrix at annex A.
11.5 When calculating the distance from the mined area to the nearest habitation, survey officersmust remember that a village means any inhabited settlement, not just the official village listed inthe gazetteer. The survey officer must also use the shortest distance (a straight line) between theclosest inhabitant of the village to the target area.
11.6 If a survey team is informed of a suspect area that can not be linked to a village, the surveyteam is to complete a Form I they are to write Remote Area instead of a village name. If a surveyteam subsequently finds that there is a polygon in the remote area they are to complete a Form II.
11.7 If a survey team is given information from an informant that relates to a suspect area inanother district, the survey team is to annotate in the remarks box in Form I the name of theinformant and as much geographic information as possible that relates to the suspected area in thedifferent district. The survey team must use the words Cross Boundary to start any remarkrelating to a suspect area in a different district. CMAA BLS Unit shall then provide a copy of anyCross Border remarks to the relevant operator (with a cc to the originator). In order to make surethat valuable information is not lost, the operator must confirm receipt of the information.
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12- MAPPING OF MINED AND RESIDUAL THREAT AREAS
12.1 For both mined and residual threat areas, the aim is to establish the approximate boundary,and hence the approximate area, so that operators can plan the assets required for clearance.Survey officers should not waste undue time, or put themselves and their team at any risk, in an
attempt to establish the precise boundary; this will be established at a later stage by the clearanceteam.
12.2 Mapping standard units of measurement are as follows:
GPS Datum reference:o GIS: India 1960Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 48N
Distances in metres. Area in square metres. Bearings in degrees. 2009 Gazeteer.
12.3 When mapping an area, the first step is to select a landmark (LM) and bench mark (BM):
The LM is a fixed point of reference some distance outside the dangerous area. It should bean easily recognizable permanent feature (such as cross-roads, bridge, building etc) whichcan be use to assist in navigation to one or more BMs. The LM should be permanentlymarked. The LM must include the following information as a minimum:
o Description,o GPS reference, ando Bearing and distance to BM.
The BM is a fixed point of reference used to locate a marked and recorded hazard orhazardous area. It can be in the form of a post, or markings painted onto a building or treeetc. It should normally be located a short distance outside the suspect dangerous area. TheBM should be clearly visible from some distance, and should be marked. A benchmark maynot be necessary if the landmark is sufficiently close to the perimeter of the mined orresidual threat area. The BM must be recorded with the following information as aminimum:
o Description,o GPS reference, ando Bearing and distance to SP.
12.4 The next step is to map the boundary of the entire mined or residual threat area using a startpoint (SP) and a series of turning points (TPs). TPs are to be numbered sequentially (ie: TP1, TP2,TP3...etc). To avoid plotting a polygon in reverse, if using bearing and distance only the TPs shallbe recorded in a clockwise direction.
SP/TPs which can safely be approached on foot are to be mapped using GPS. Surveypersonnel must not go past the limit of the suspect area, even if local people are willing to doso. In this example the mined area is surrounded by cultivated ground so all TPs can bemapped using GPS:
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TPs which are visible from safe ground but which cannot safely be reached on foot are to bemapped using GPS, compass and an estimate of the distance (Rangefinder preferred). Theyare also to be marked using a dashed line on the survey map, and indicated specifically inthe survey form using an asterix (*). In the example below, TP1 is surrounded by suspectground but is visible from the SP, so its position can be fixed.
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The positions of TPs which are not visible from safe ground (TP2 in the example below) areto be estimated from the information given by local guides:
13- DEMARCATION OF MINED AREAS INTO SEPARATE POLYGONS
13.1 Surveyed areas may contain different levels of threat and therefore land classificationdepending on the density of mine laying, and should be identified and surveyed as separatepolygons. For example:
13.2 If an area adjacent to an A1 sub-classification minefield is believed to contain small numbersof Chinese AP mines (therefore a sub-classification A4 minefield), this should not be included in theA1 clearance task. It should be mapped as a separate clearance task.
13.3 Where possible, classifications A1 A3 should contain surveyed tasks no greater than50,000 sqm in area. Classification A4 and B areas should be surveyed into polygons not exceedingapproximately 100,000 sqm in total area. If a survey area is greater than these areas in size, itshould be broken down into smaller tasks for subsequent actions.
e.g. on large tasks the area should be broken down into smaller blocks if there is sufficientinformation to do so. In the example below, an area of forest has a stream running through itand a reported defensive position in the southern end. Rather than cutting the mined areainto eleven arbitrary five-hectare blocks or surveying as one task, it would be better to divideit into four larger tasks using the information and natural features available.
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13.4 For all Classification A and B areas the survey officer is to produce a detailed A4 scale mapwhich is to be attached to the minefield survey report.
13.5 Where a mined or residual threat area is split between two village boundaries, the taskpolygon should be split along the boundary.
13.6 The survey information will be used by the operator to produce a polygon map on the GIS, tobe subsequently submitted to the CMAA along with the electronic dataset, and photocopy of theoriginal form.
14- REPORTING
14.1 For each polygon the survey officer has demarcated they are to fill a separate BaselineSurvey Report attached at annex B. They are to include as much detailed information as possiblewithout wasting time or putting their team at risk.
14.2 There are two separate forms used for the survey, as follows:
FORM I Village Information . Used to capture basic geographical information regardingthe location of the village, and to record if there are any areas not able to be accessedduring the survey for whatever reason, that will need to be revisited. This forms also acts asa cover sheet for the following three forms.
FORM II Mined Area / Residual Threat Land Information . This is to be used by thesurvey team to record all available information with regard to mined or residual threat areaswithin the village boundaries. This form is used to record the physical location of each BM,LM, SP and TP for each mined and residual mined area surveyed. This form shall only beused for one hazard area.
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14.3 All Classification A and B areas surveyed are to be accompanied by a scale map of thepolygon drawn on A4 graph paper, showing local features (roads, streams, houses etc), theestimated position of mines, and the location of all accidents. This will allow the data processors tocheck the polygon, and will be useful for the clearance team. Standard map symbols to be used forthe scale map are attached at annex C.
14.4 The output of the baseline survey is to allocate a classification for each identified mined orresidual threat area, discriminated as follows:
Land Classification / Proximity
14.5 Classification C areas only require the recording of the classification, and the land use code.Proximity is not required in the labelling of the site.
14.6 When classifying a mined or residual threat area, the survey team is to identify and use thegreatest threat.
e.g. an old road alignment with a scattered, low density Type 72A anti-personnel mine threatand an underlying anti-tank mine threat would be classified as A2, as opposed to A4.
14.7 In an area that has been hand ploughed but not tractor ploughed due to the threat of ATmines the land is to be classified as A3.
Photographs or images may also be attached if available and relevant.
14.8 Each Baseline Survey Report must be signed by the Survey Officer, Operator SurveySupervisor (equivalent) and the Operator Data Entry Officer.
15- DISTRICT REPORTING
The baseline survey is to cover fully all land in the districts nominated by CMAA. The organisationcarrying out the survey is to submit to the CMAA a district cover report immediately after finishing adistrict survey, in order to document if the district was completely surveyed or not. If it was notcompletely surveyed, e.g. due lack of access or insufficient key informants, the operator is to submita map and list of communities or communes identifying which parts of the district were notcompleted and are pending further survey operations.
16- MARKING OF MINEFIELDS
Temporary marking shall be left to indicate the perimeter of all A and B suspect areas post surveycompletion, in order to assist further clearance teams in identifying the surveyed ground. Markingshould make it clear where the hazard area is located and assist not only future clearanceoperations but should help inform the local population. Any marking shall be explained to the villageauthorities prior to moving to a new village location. (Refer CMAS on Marking for further details).
17- SURVEY CODE
17.1 CMAA has allocated block numbers as follows:
CMAC - BS/CMAA/00001-19999
HALO - BS/CMAA/20000 - 39999
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MAG BS/CMAA/40000 - 59999
This code shall be used as the key identifying number and must not change during taskprioritisation, clearance, reclassification or post clearance reclassification. This is essential to avoiddata duplication.
17.2 Operators must request additional blocks of code from the CMAA BLS Unit once they haveutilised all their allocation.
18- LAND RECLASSIFICATION
18.1 Land can be reclassified when more information becomes available subsequent to thebaseline survey. This can be through further survey during a pre-clearance assessment or technicalsurvey.
18.2 CMAA must establish a full procedure for re-classification of land according to the landclassification definitions in this CMAS.
19- DATA MANAGEMENT
19.1 The information gathered by the baseline survey teams will be held in paper survey reports,in the survey and clearance database, and on the GIS in the form of shape files by each operator.
19.2 The database will include a record for each surveyed task, with fields for all the boxes on thesurvey form. Each survey and clearance task on the database will be linked to a polygon on theGIS.
19.3 Information from the database and GIS will be passed to the CMAA Database Unit asdirected in the flowchart at Annex E. Operators are also to provide monthly a hard or soft copy of alloriginal reports to the CMAA Database Unit as requested.
19.4 Data will be disseminated from the CMAA Database Unit back to the operators afterconsolidation of the reports has been completed on a quarterly basis.
20- SUBSEQUENT BLS (NON TECHNICAL SURVEY)
20.1 For Cambodia any Non Technical Survey is referred to as BLS. CMAA recognise that it maybe necessary to conduct subsequent BLS for the following reasons:
A period of time has passed since the last BLS was conducted and it is obvious that furtherclearance or land reclamation has occurred.
When access was not possible for previous BLS. When clearance is requested on an area that has not been subjected to the BLS process
and therefore has no land classification.
20.2 Any C Land identified by subsequent BLS shall be deemed as released. For subsequentBLS C Land Classifications should be included on Form II with clear justification for theclassification. Refer to Land Release CMAS for further information.
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