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As a result of several conflicts during the last century, Vietnam is heavily contaminated with explosive ordnance (EO), primarily cluster munition remnants, aircraft bombs and other munitions from land battles. Landmines are considered a minor problem and only in specific locations. A national EO impact survey, completed by the government of Vietnam in 2014, states that all 63 provinces in Vietnam are contaminated with EO. While a comprehensive evidence-based survey has not yet been conducted in all provinces, the initial government estimate is that over 61,000 km2 of land, or around 19% of the entire country, is contaminated with EO.

While the number of accidents each year is steadily declining, with no accidents recorded in NPA’s area of operations since 2018, unsafe land use practices are still very common as people continue to utilise land despite knowledge of contamination. This is out of necessity, as the areas with the highest level of contamination are amongst the poorest and least developed in Vietnam. Removing a community’s fear of having accidents when using their land is one of the greatest impacts of NPA’s work in Vietnam.

The NPA mine action programme in Vietnam was established in 2007. Since then, the organisation has grown to be operational in three provinces: Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Binh. Activities include cluster munition remnants survey (CMRS), battle area clearance (BAC) and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). NPA also supports the Vietnam National Mine Action Centre based in Hanoi (VNMAC), the Quang Tri Mine Action Centre (QTMAC) and Quang Binh Database and Coordination Unit (QB DBCU) with a variety of capacity development activities.

Mine Action Review

Vietnam country profile
Fast facts
  • Mine Ban Treaty: Not a state party.
  • Convention on Cluster Munitions: Not acceded.
  • Over 100,000 people have been recorded as victims of UXO from 1975 and until today in Vietnam. The real numbers are likely to be higher.
  • Vietnam still has one of the highest civilian accident rates in the world
  • Country profile in Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor
  • NPA Vietnam Facebook
  • More about Cluster Munitions Remnants Survey in Vietnam:
Achievements since 2007
  • Surveyed over 463 km2 of suspected contaminated land.
  • Identified a total of 1,029 confirmed hazardous areas, totalling 460 km2 that requires clearance.
  • Cleared over 9.5 km2 of contaminated land.
  • Directly benefiting 16,591 people including 4,524 women, 4,539 men, 3,651 girls and 3,877 boys and indirectly benefitting another 19,223 people including 6,317 women, 6,171 men, 3,420 girls and 3,315 boys.
  • Found and destroyed over 114,000 cluster munitions and other EO through survey and clearance.