While the current area is expected to be finished early in 2012, DCA plans to clear a total of 18 hotspots all over Albania.
The hotspots problem in Albania began with widespread looting of state-owned arms depots from March until June 1997 following economic and political chaos. Ammunition, weapons and explosives were taken from the depots and many of the depots were destroyed.
Metal contamination
With 36 staff, the project takes place at the former military ammunition storage site at Ure E Gjadrit in the north of Albania. The site is approximately 91,000 sq meters and is heavily contaminated with metal.
"The humanitarian aspect of hotspots clearance cannot be overstated. Failure to clear the hotspots will result in an ongoing casualty list of innocent people," says Anthony Connell, program manager for DCA HMA in Albania.
Meeting Land Mine Treaty Obligations
DCA ended its landmine clearance programme in Albania, which was started in 2002, in November 2009. It took place along the border region between Albania and Kosovo.
At the time of completion, DCA was the only non-governmental organisation doing clearance left in the area.
Over the duration of the landmine programme that ended in 2009, DCA returned approx 5,123,000 sq meters of land to the national authorities and destroyed 8,767 anti personnel mines, 47 anti tank mines and 1,898 unexploded ordnance.
The programme was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
DCA was thus instrumental in helping the Albanian government meet its deadline under the Ottawa Convention (Mine Ban Treaty), which says that a country will have to have cleared all its anti-personnel mines 10 years after having signed the convention.
New project in 2011
In August 2011, DCA signed a contract with Sterling International through funding provided by the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance International (ITF) and the United States Department of State, assisting the Albanian government in clearing the hotspots.
The destruction of the ammunition store houses within the depots in 1997 resulted in unexploded ordnance being spread around the surrounding area. This has caused severe contamination of usable land.
"It is known there have been 707 casualties, of which 164 have involved children, as a result of explosive remnants of war contamination from the 1997 troubles," says Connell.
Reducing accidents involving children
Some of the Hotspots are located inside former military and/or police barracks. These areas have been abandoned as a result of the contamination and over time, the perimeter boundary fences have fallen into disrepair, permitting access from unauthorised personnel – which include children grazing livestock.
"The clearance of these hotspots will permit the former barracks to be demilitarized and handed over to the local population for on-going civilian use and reducing the threat of accidents involving abandoned ammunition to children," says Connell.
Finishing in January 2012
The clearance of Ure E Gjadrit is expected to be completed in January 2012. The 36 people working on the project are recruited among former staff. The 33 field staff live in field camps while there is a small programme office in the capital city, Tirana, with three national staff and the international programme manager.