- I am impressed to see the professional capacity and obedience of the Mine Detection Dogs under training, as well as the tight relationship between the dogs and the doghandlers. EMAO together with NPA has had high and stable results in terms of area cleared in 2009, and it is fulfilling to support a program that shows world class within Mine Action, said First Secretary Mrs. Margot Skarpeteig who was present at the annual meeting.
The NPA Mine Action Program in Ethiopia is different from other NPA program in the sense that the Norwegian NGO here works to build the capacity of a local institution rather than acting as a mine-action operator. Currently, EMAO has 32 Mine-Detection-Dogs operational in areas around Dire Dawa and in the Somali Region. In addition, 10 young dogs have been delivered from the Global Training Centre run by NPA in Sarajevo, Bosnia. They are now being trained on the Entoto Mine Action Training Centre, which is the other component receiving support from the Embassy of Norway.
Previously, the activities at the Entoto Centre were restricted to training of mine detection dogs. The dormitories could accommodate 10 dog handlers, and there was one classroom. The expansion started in late 2007 has been aimed at creating a centre where manual de-miners as well as demining-machine operators can be trained. Despite delays in the construction activities and increased costs of construction material in Ethiopia, the centre is increasingly getting ready for an official opening scheduled to November 2010. All buildings have been completed, including dormitories able to accommodate 170 people, with single rooms for female occupants. A workshop for machines and cars is ready. A training-area for manual de-miners (using mine-detectors) is being prepared. The road inside the centre has been prepared, and will be covered with cobblestones.
There is also a wide range of training areas for mine-detection dogs, both the ones being trained at the centre, and for the annual re-testing and re-licensing of the dogs in the mine-field. It includes mock” mine fields”, low brick walls where small pieces of TNT can be hidden, and training areas aimed at increasing the dogs stamina, like a swimming pool and an obstacle course.
The situation of the centre more than 3000 metres above sea level makes it well suited for training of dogs for mine detection. At such an altitude, the explosives will send out fewer molecules because of the low temperature, and dogs trained under such conditions will develop a strong ability to detect the smell of explosives, particularly useful when they are deployed in warmer areas like Dire Dawa and Somali, where higher temperature makes the smell stronger for the dogs.
Read about the - Norwegian : Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) evaluation of NPA Mine Action on
http://www.norad.no/en/About+Norad/News+archive/Successful+achievements+of+Norwegian+People%E2%80%99s+Aid%E2%80%99s+mine+action+activities%2C+but+room+for+improvement..150588.cms