In the areas afflicted by anti-personnel landmines, Komatsu has engaged in activities to support community development throughout the process from demining to reconstruction. Utilizing Komatsu’s demining machines and construction equipment, developed by combining its technical expertise and knowledge in manufacturing, Komatsu started its project in Cambodia in 2008 partnering with the authorized NPO "Japan Mine Action Service" (JMAS) and another project in Laos in 2016.
From a land contaminated with dangerous landmines to a land where people can live in safety and security, and further on to a land with added value through the construction of roads and elementary schools. Komatsu will continue to promote activities that contribute to the independent reconstruction of the entire community by providing support through construction equipment, which is our core business.
Clear landmines from the vast tracts of land. In the aftermath of war and civil war, landmines and unexploded ordinance remain in many areas in Cambodia. Still today citizens continue to suffer severe injuries and even death from landmines. Buried in the vast tracts of land near the Thai border in the northwestern part of the country are countless anti-personnel landmines, preventing restoration and development. In order for people to return to the abandoned farmlands and deserted villages, our clearing of the landmines and making the land safe to live and walk upon must be our first task.
By restoring farmland and roads, people regain their livelihoods. The Project does not end with the clearing of landmines. That step only restores the land’s ability to fulfill its role in the development of farmlands or construction of roads. The two main crops of Cambodia are rice and cassava. For efficient cultivation and harvesting, land intended for rice paddy-use needs to have the unevenness of the ground and other irregularities eliminated. The result of using bulldozers equipped with ICT to level the land and prepare it for rice paddy cultivation and harvesting is a nearly doubling of yield. In addition, irrigation canals and reservoirs have been created to alleviate water shortages. Previously farming in the dry season was not possible. Now more and more farmers are enjoying access to water from irrigation canals for their crops. Moreover, construction of a network of new and improved roads connects farmers not only with towns and the region but also with vital lifelines. The impact of all these improvements is large. People living in villages are choosing to stay. Those who left to find work in other countries are returning to build prosperous lives on the reborn land. Soon the newly constructed roads will be busy with people coming and going between home and villages alive with hope and vitality.
"Learning is creating your future". That is what the principal of a local elementary school said to his students. There was a child who gave up going to school because the school in the minefield was far away. There were also schools where the school buildings were so dilapidated that it was difficult to study. It has been more than ten years since we started building elementary schools. Some children have graduated from the first and second schools and are now college students. A small bud seemed to open into a large flower. People gather in places that used to be minefields, schools are built, and students learn. Each person will find their own dream. That's why children's smiles shine so brightly.
Komatsu has been involved in the construction of a total of 10 elementary schools in Cambodia, as of April 2023. All of these elementary schools were built on former minefields, and many of the students are from economically disadvantaged families. However, the number of university students is gradually increasing among them, so Komatsu has launched a new scholarship program for students graduated from those Komatsu-built elementary schools. In FY2023, the first year of the program, six students will be awarded.
We started support of unexploded ordnance disposal activities in 2016 in Xiangkhouang province, northern Laos.
In Laos, more than 30% of the land is contaminated with unexploded ordnances, mostly cluster munitions, which harm children and farmers every year. Komatsu plays its part by offering the necessary machines free of charge for the mechanized operations jointly conducted by UXO-LAO (a Lao unexploded ordnance disposal squad) and the Japan Mine Action Service (JMAS), alongside engineering support for the machines it provides.
Despite the various restrictions imposed by the outbreak of COVID-19, the UXO disposal project in Laos was conducted continuously as planned. Komatsu supports the project by providing remote support through online meetings and by supplying supplemental spare parts from Japan.
As part of the "Visiting Lecture" initiative, Komatsu employees visit schools in Japan to lecture about the activities of the demining project. The lectures are attended by differently aged students ranging from elementary to university levels. Up to the present, we have given a total of 99 lectures (including lectures held online) attended by about 7,500 students.
The feedback we received from some first-year high school students included, “After listening to this lecture, I was reminded that working overseas can be very enjoyable and rewarding, even if the language and culture are different. I have been interested in working abroad but have been a little apprehensive about those differences, but after listening to this talk, I am now very much looking forward to working in the future. And I realized that it is very important to make use of what I am interested in in the future.”
Komatsu will continue its efforts to provide visiting lectures so that the younger generation will have the opportunity to think about world peace, their future, and their lives.
Year | Activity (international treaties and activities of the Japanese government are underlined) |
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1998 | Komatsu develops old timber removal machine for demining in Cambodia |
1999 | The Ottawa Treaty is enacted (the Mine Ban Convention) |
2002 | The Japanese government states it would exclude antipersonnel demining machine from the Three Principles on Arms Exports |
2003 | A subsidized project by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and NEDO* develops demining machine (Figure (1) below) |
2004 | With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Komatsu conducts on-site testing in Afghanistan |
2006 | With support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Komatsu conducts on-site testing in Cambodia |
2007 | The first machine is introduced in Afghanistan (Japanese government ODA) |
2008 | Komatsu begins the Cambodia reconstruction project jointly with the JMAS, an incorporated NPO |
2009 | Komatsu begins the Angola reconstruction project jointly with the JMAS, an incorporated NPO |
2010 | The Oslo Treaty is enacted (the treaty banning Cluster Munitions) |
2015 | Komatsu develops demining machine (Figure (2) below) |
2016 | Komatsu begins the Laos reconstruction project jointly with the JMAS, an incorporated NPO |
2017 | Komatsu completes the Angola reconstruction project |
2019 | Komatsu constructs its 9th elementary school in Cambodia, and 1st in Laos. |
2020 | Komatsu begins the agriculture CSR project in Cambodia |
2022 | Komatsu constructs its 10th elementary school in Cambodia |