Quang Tri mobilising resources to tackle bomb/mine pollution

Since 1975, bombs and mines remaining after the war in the province have left more than 3,430 people dead and 5,100 injured, and about 31% of the victims are children, according to Quang Tri Mine Action Centre.

The province began cooperating with international organisations to carry out mine and bomb clearance activities in 1995.

As of this month, 34 non-Governmental organisations and 23 international organisations support the province in overcoming the consequences of unexploded ordnance. The US Government alone has supported the province through NGOs with more than US$91 million in funds.

In 1995, Peace Trees Vietnam, a US non-governmental organisation, became the first of such NGOs to be licensed in deploying bomb and mine clearance activities in the province. With a budget of US$10.5 million, the organisation began a project on detecting and handling mines and other explosives to reduce hazards and support the socio-economic development plan of Quang Tri province in the period of 2021-2025.

Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) has been carrying the “Restoring the Environment and Neutralizing the Effects of the War – RENEW” project with funding of US$13 million.

Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh, NPA Manager in Quang Tri province, said that from 2001, NPA/RENEW Project has achieved many positive results when zoning 600 million m2 of confirmed bomb/mine contaminated areas; clearing bomb/mine on 22 million sq.m and disposing of 123,400 other explosives during its operation.

Resources from NGOs and international organisations have helped Quang Tri province achieve many positive results in tackling the consequences of bombs and mines.

Between 1975 and 1995, on average, about 100 people died of bomb and mines accidents each year in the province. Between 2005 and 2015, the average number of bomb/mine victims decreased to 10 people per year.

From the beginning of 2018 to the end of 2021, the province had no accident caused by bombs and mines. Early last year, two bomb/mine accidents happened in the province, killing one person and injuring another.

The province has cleared over 779,000 bombs and mines of all kinds and cleaned 26,660 hectares of land contaminated with heavy bombs and mines. Nearly 1,000 technical staff are well-trained according to international standards on bomb and mine clearance, and well equipped.

Quang Tri is the first province in the country to introduce bomb and mine accident prevention education into schools right from primary school and then to junior high school.  About 630,000 people have accessed education programmes on the risks of unexploded ordnance.

Director of the province’s External Affairs Department Nguyen Trieu Thuong said that the province expects to mobilise over US$150 million to tackle the consequences of bombs and mines.

Quang Tri aims to become the first province in the country no longer affected by mines and explosives by 2025, she said, adding that the goal does not mean all ordnance will be cleared. But completion of surveys, mapping areas contaminated with bombs and mines for monitoring and management, clearly detecting and solving pollution problems is the goal.