Hazard Risk Resilience Magazine Volume 1 Issue1 | Page 5

05

Living amongst landmines and cluster
bombs on the Lebanon/Israeli border
Physical hazards receive a great deal of attention
from the mainstream press, but man-made
physical hazards also exist especially in the
forms of explosives left from military warfare.
The border between Lebanon and Israel, known
as the ‘The Blue Line’, is a prime example of the
severity of these types of hazards and what they
mean for the people that live there.

Clare Collingwood, a PhD student in IHRR and
the Dept of Geography is investigating the extent
of the landmine and cluster bomb contamination
in Lebanon including their removal, which can
prevent harm and potentially save many lives.
For her research, Collingwood is looking at how
after spaces are cleared of landmines or cluster
bombs they are reclaimed and developed.

New opportunities are available after
contamination is cleaned up, but how these
spaces are re-populated and developed
remains unclear. The research is funded by
the ESRC CASE scholarship scheme and the
Mines Advisory Group (MAG).

© JB Russell / MAG

Targeted regeneration could be key
to boosting health of coalfield
communities in the UK
Research by Dr Myléne Riva and Prof Sarah Curtis confirms that better
economic conditions, well-being and health seem to go hand in hand.
The research also reveals an increased likelihood of long-term limiting
illness in some coalfield communities that have faced economic
challenges. But some have done better than others in terms of health,
possibly exemplifying cases of resilience. The findings could inform
efforts in regeneration of human health in economically disadvantaged
areas. They are important for understanding the health inequalities still
present in coalfield communities, but also help identify areas that are
most vulnerable in order to help government and community groups
assist in regeneration efforts to address health inequalities directly.
(For more about this research see an in-depth interview with Dr Mylène
Riva about the study on IHRR’s blog: http://wp.me/pSWpn-z1).

‘Coalfield health effects: Variation in health across former coalfield
areas in Engl