A cost-benefit analysis of landmine clearance in Mozambique

Abstract

After reviewing the nature and extent of the landmine problem in Mozambique, this article applies cost-benefit analysis to landmine clearance in that country. The main benefits of clearance are saved lives, injuries and medical costs and the agricultural output that is not lost if landmines are cleared. A very large negative net present value was estimated, a result explicable by the high costs of clearance, the relatively small number of people killed or injured by landmines and the low value of agricultural productivity per hectare. The article concludes with a discussion of the role of the economist in analysing such issues and suggests some alternative areas in which financial resources would provide a greater positive impact on the welfare of Mozambicans.