Progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goal No 9 (MDG 9) on reducing the impact of unexploded ordnance (UXO) is falling short of the target.

Director of the National Regulatory Authority (NRA), Mr Phoukhieo Chanthasomboun, told Vientiane Times on Monday the reason for the slow progress was a funding shortfall.

“We know clearance is not running to plan, but that is because we lack the necessary funding from international donors to assist with our operations,” he said.

The UXO sector needs US$50 million to carry out surveys and clearance, and for victim assistance, but this year only US$30 million has been made available.

If international donors can provide US$50 million a year to support this work, UXO clearance teams can be beefed up and progress will be swifter.

Despite the funding shortage, the NRA is working towards its target to clear UXO in 300 locations in the country's poorest districts, aiming to achieve MDG9 by 2020.

The NRA is working with the Lao People's Army to create a Lao Army Humanitarian Force in the hope that clearance will proceed at a more rapid pace when this entity join forces with the Lao National UXO Programme (UXO Lao) and other organisations.

But until further funding can be sourced, UXO clearance teams from the Lao Army Humanitarian Force won't be able to operate extensively.

The NRA has identified 300 specific areas in the 47 poorest districts for priority clearing, but it will be very difficult to succeed in this endeavour and achieve MDG9 unless more funding is made available.

It is the government's stated intention to clear 20,000 hectares of land per year from 2011 to 2020.

About 87,000 square kilometres may be contaminated by various types of UXO. Based on bombing data records the area of land contaminated by cluster munitions is estimated at about 8,470 square kilometres.

Since 1996, 1.5 million items of U XO have been removed from over 39,820 hectares.

In 2010, only 5,000 hectares of land were cleared because Laos received only US$19 million in financial support. In 2011 and 2012, about 6,000 hectares were cleared as communication with donors improved and they increased support to US$30 million. In the first six months of 2013, Laos received US$17 million in financing.


http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/FreeContent/FreeConten_UXO%20clearance.htm

I personally think the Laos Government should be highly aggressive in migrating rural folks into metropolitan areas of Vientaine, Savannakhet and Luang Prabang.   I also think that it is a waste of money to spent on removing these UXOs in the rural region.  Leave them alone.  Rural folks should able to find better life and better opportunities in the mentioned metropolitan areas.