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Drawing from MAG’s 30 years of experience in Iraq and its work in post-ISIS clearance operations in northeastern Syria, this paper explores the progress still needed and the lessons learned from past efforts. It also looks ahead to the future of debris management and rubble clearance in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria, highlighting the strategies and innovations required for safe, effective, and efficient post-conflict recovery.
In the lead-up to Mine Action 2025, the BBC released an article, ‘Mosul’s landmarks rise again after IS destruction’ (Usher, 2025), showcasing the rebuilding of Mosul and some of its key landmarks. This article vindicates many of the mine action professionals who worked tirelessly in northern Iraq clearing rubble post-ISIS.
Since the ISIS offensive in 2014, MAG’s work in Iraq and Syria has led to the removal and destruction of nearly 150,000 items of unexploded ordnance, including 50,000 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). In light of this, and on the 10th anniversary of the Sinjar massacre—ISIS’s attack on Iraq’s Yezidi ethnoreligious minority - MAG commissioned an independent study on the impact, challenges, and best practices from its work in the Sinjar and Tel Afar districts (MAG, 2024). The report provides clear evidence of the importance and impact of mine action in enabling stabilisation, recovery, and development activities in these regions. However, it also outlined nine key areas for improvement. Much of the clearance conducted by MAG was in densely contaminated urban environments, focusing on debris management and rubble clearance. Therefore, Recommendation 7 of the report recommended the development of a good practice guide for planning and managing mine action in urban environments. This initiative began in 2021 when MAG was looking to trial the now-unreleased GICHD Urban Approach Model paper, this was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most experts in the field would agree that despite the excellent work completed in Iraq and Syria, there are many lessons that could improve the efficiency and effectiveness of debris management and rubble clearance.
These lessons are now more relevant than ever, as many countries affected by recent conflicts face similar challenges. In Gaza, the most recent estimates from UNEP calculate the total debris quantity at over 50 million tons (UNEP, 2024) – a staggering amount compared to even the massive estimated 8 million tons of debris in Iraq (DDG, 2019).