Non-Technical Survey

The main purpose of a Non-Technical Survey (NTS) is to provide recommendations for planning subsequent clearance operations or for the removal of areas from the list of potentially hazardous areas or suspected hazardous areas.

An NTS is the first phase of humanitarian demining, which provides an understanding for planning subsequent clearance operations or for the removal of areas from the list of potentially hazardous areas or suspected hazardous areas.

Within the framework of an NTS, our actions include:

• assessing the hazard posed by the presence of explosive ordnance in defined areas;
• removing areas from the records of contaminated or potentially contaminated areas where there is no longer a risk of the presence of mines and explosive remnants of war;
• establishing socio-economic factors and other elements that may influence the prioritization of subsequent actions.

Based on the information collected, our tasks also include:

• classifying areas according to their hazard status;
• defining and marking the boundaries of hazardous areas;
• collecting information about incidents and accidents in the area where the NTS is being conducted;
• developing strategies for the effective clearance of areas contaminated with explosive ordnance.

During an NTS, we avoid the practical use of demining assets and direct entry into hazardous areas; however, if necessary, we use demining assets to lay down safe access routes to the area to be surveyed.

Based on the information collected during an NTS, we:

• Classify areas according to their hazard status;
• Define and mark the boundaries of hazardous areas;
• Collect information about incidents and accidents in the area where the NTS is being conducted;
• Develop strategies for the effective clearance of areas contaminated by explosive ordnance.