 (Illustrative photo: tuyengiao.vn) |
About one fifth of Vietnam’s land – 5.6 million hectares – remains contaminated with unexploded ordnance. It is estimated that between 600,000 and 800,000 tons of bombs and mines left over from the wars are still hidden underground.
The figures were released at a workshop in Hanoi last Thursday on regional experience and progress in overcoming the consequence of bombs and mines for peace and sustainable development, co-hosted by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
 Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet addresses the conference. (Photo: baoquocte.vn) |
Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet said KOICA and the UNDP have cooperated with Vietnam over the last three years to survey 17,000 hectares of land, clear 10,000 hectares of contaminated land, and train 450,000 local people on preventing landmine and explosive accidents. Vietnam considers landmine clearance an important part of post-conflict recovery, building peace, and realizing the Sustainable Development Goals, with the motto of making people the center and the subject, and leaving no one behind.
Within the framework of the National Action Program on Settling Consequences of Unexploded Ordnance for the 2010-2020 period, Vietnam has amassed about 5 billion USD in resources and cleared more than half a million hectares of contaminated land.
This year Vietnam and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bomb and mine clearance. The US has increased direct and indirect funding through international organizations and non-governmental organizations operating in this field.
US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper said Vietnam and the US will develop a cooperation plan for clearing 350,000 hectares of contaminated land by 2028.
 Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien (Photo: dangcongsan.vn) |
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense and Head of the National Steering Committee for resolving the consequences of bombs, mines, and toxic chemicals, said Vietnam expects the US and its partners to provide more long-term funding to help Vietnam handle the consequences of landmines and unexploded ordnance, clear contaminated land, and create more jobs for the local people.