The Republic of Palau
The island nation of the Republic of Palau is comprised of 340 islands with a population of an estimated 17,000 people and an economy focused on tourism, subsistence agriculture and fishing. With a complex history of Spanish, German, Japanese, and American administrations, Palau became fully independent in 1994 under the Compact of Free Association with the United States.
Palau’s strategic location in Micronesia drew it into the conflicts of World War II, where it served as a base for Japan’s operations in the Pacific. Intense battles, including the Battles of Peleliu and Angaur, took place between Japanese and United States forces in 1944, and it is estimated that 2,800 tons of munitions were dropped upon its territory - many of which failed to explode.
Nearly 80 years after the war’s end, Palau continues to face the legacy of that conflict, with explosive remnants of war (ERW) still scattered on land and in the surrounding seas throughout all 16 states of the country. These unexploded and abandoned explosive ordnances (UXOs / AXOs) include projectiles, mortars, rockets, anti-aircraft ammunition, grenades, aircraft bombs, sea mines, beach mines, and torpedoes, and not only pose a threat to public health, safety and the environment, but also hinder economic growth and infrastructure development.
Norwegian People's Aid in Palau
NPA established a presence in Palau in 2015 with an initial focus on mapping UXO / AXO contamination through non-technical surveys (NTS). Over the past decade such surveys have identified suspected and confirmed hazardous areas (SHAs and CHAs) and have been incorporated with technical surveys (TS) and battle area clearance (BAC) within an evidence-based land release approach in order to safely release land back to the communities for their safe and productive use.
Working with the National Safety Office, NPA has also safely removed and destroyed over 25,000 UXO/ AXO items and is supporting research and development on remote bandsaw-cutting and deflagration to render high-order explosives safe during disposal. In 2024, NPA also partnered with the Bureau of Public Safety to dispose of 193 confiscated weapons and upgrade armories as part of a weapons and ammunition management (WAM) project.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, NPA delivers explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) in schools nationwide.
In 2025 NPA has also launched activities aimed at strengthening the capacity of the national authorities to manage residual ERW contamination, including an information management database of ERW contamination.
Fast facts
- Palau declared itself free from landmine and cluster munitions contamination in 2019 and as such has not been included in reports by the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, since then. However, it is still evident that there is a need for the Government to address the continued presence of hazards of ERW and work towards the enhanced coordination and management of residual risk.
- Palau has ratified the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty (APMBC) in 2007, the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in 2016 (having been a signatory since 2008 - and becoming its 100th State Party), and signed the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017.
- Under the authority of the 2013 Executive Order No. 335 issued by the Office of the President, a UXO Advisory Committee was established and is composed of government ministries, states, agencies, and organizations. The Committee has overseen the development of the UXO Policy and UXO Action Plan 2017–19, which were enacted by Presidential Executive Order 392 of 2017 and coordinates and manages UXO-related action in the country.
- In 2025, there are only two international operators in the country; NPA operating on land and JMAS, which is responsible for underwater clearance.
- Country profile in the Landmine and Cluster Munitions Monitor
- Follow NPA Palau on Facebook
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Overall results
- Since 2015 NPA Palau has released 1,048,427 m2 of land (349,605 m2 cleared, 639,266 m2 reduced, and 59,556 m2 cancelled)
- 26,491 items of ERW have been found or destroyed (1,245 UXO, 9,984 AXO, 15,262 SAA).
- The work has directly benefitted 2,149 persons (119 girls, 107 boys, 874 women, 1319 men).
- NPA has conducted 183 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) spot tasks and continually supports the Government of Palau with risk assessments for infrastructure and development projects.
