UXO clearance - an uphill task in Vietnam (VOV) - Decades after the end of the US war, an abundance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) remain scattered across the nation, a legacy posing a continuous threat of exploding, expected to take Vietnam centuries to clear.  In an interview with Thanh Nien online, Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh quoted initial surveys as indicating all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam report leftover bombs and mines, with 6.6 million ha of land contaminated with UXO, or 21.12% of the country’s total land area.   Searching for leftover bombs and mines in the northern border province of Lang Son  Vietnam needs tens of billions of US dollars and hundreds of years to dispose of bombs and mines and clean up the contaminated land, Vinh said. UXO poses potential risks to people’s lives and economic production. Statistics show approximately 100,000 people have fallen victim to UXO explosions over the years, resulting in more than 40,000 deaths. Most of the victims were major income earners in the family. Every year the State spends some VND1,000 billion on bomb and mine clearance and hundreds of billions on functional rehabilitation, vocational training and resettlement for the victims. Leftover bombs and mines also cause environmental pollution, and affect the exploitation and use of natural resources, as well as socio-economic development.   Recovering a 230kg bomb from a pond in Ha Tinh province in 2013 Bomb and mine clearance is now conducted by infantry forces, more than 50 military-run businesses, and several missions funded by international non-governmental organisations. The disposal is done both on land and at sea, with priority given to severely contaminated localities such as central provinces and provinces close to the Vietnam-China border. On average between 30,000 and 35,000 ha of contaminated land is cleaned up every year and the figure is expected to be raised to 100,000ha in a couple of years, said Vinh. However, he admitted lack of funding, poorly equipped devices, and outdated technology are the major obstacles to UXO clearance. Vietnam has established a steering committee to implement the national programme of action on settling the consequences of unexploded ordnance (Committee 504). Since 1990 nearly 40 foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have provided humanitarian assistance to bomb and mine detection and removal in Vietnam. The aid has been focused on surveys, cartography in the contaminated land, UXO disposal, functional rehabilitation, resettlement, and integration for victims, and communications.  A number of foreign countries have also lent a helping hand to UXO clearance to ease war aftermath in Vietnam.   Vietnam and the US signed a memorandum of understanding on overcoming the consequences of unexploded ordnance in Vietnam at a ceremony in Hanoi in December 2013 Between 2004 and 2009, under the auspices of the US Department of State, the Vietnam Veterans of American Foundation (VVAF) and the Vietnam Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal (BOMICEN) jointly conducted a survey evaluating the impact of bombs and mines left over from the war in the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai. In 2010 the governments of Norway and the US funded the building of a bomb and mine data base in Vietnam. The governments of Britain, Belgium, and India also received Vietnamese officials for refresher courses on UXO clearance. In 2013 the US government and Committee 504 signed a memorandum of understanding to support leftover bomb and mine disposal in Vietnam. The governments of Britain, Norway, Switzerland, and Germany are considering additional support for Committee 504. Vietnam will host a development partners’ conference on leftover UXO clearance in Hanoi on March 14. VOV