Landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination in Vietnam

More than 35 years after the war ended, Vietnam is still contaminated with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of landmines and UXOs (unexploded ordnances) scattered all over the country's 64 provinces, with particular concentrations in the central provinces and in certain border areas. These dangerous war legacies contaminate all types of landscapes: forests, mountains, pastures, cultivated land, lakes, rivers, streams, and coastal settings.

It is estimated that UXOs of various types make up 97 per cent and landmines 3 per cent of the current contamination. Only 20 to 25 per cent of explosives left by the war had been cleared up by 2006.

Contamination lies on the surface in some areas, but considerable quantities also remain below the surface, generally at depths down to five metres, while some heavy ordnance has been found at depths in the 10-to-20-metre range.

For more information, please see the Landmines Working Group Resources and Links page.