Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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Table of content
...... 4
OPENING...... 7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 8
PROJECT OVERVIEW ...... 8
BENEFITS OF PROJECT ...... 9
SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM...... 9
PROJECT BUDGET & EXPENDITURE ...... 10
SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS...... 10
PART I PROJECT BACKGROUND ...... 15
I. OBJECTIVES, REQUIREMENTS, TASKS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT ...... 15
1.1. Objectives ...... 15
1.2. Requirements ...... 16
1.3. Tasks ...... 16
1.4. Locations...... 17
1.5. Milestones ...... 17
1.6. Implementation Plan...... 18
1.7 Implementing chains...... 19
1.8 Significance of the project...... 20
II. PROJECT PARTICIPANTS ...... 22
2.1. Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal (BOMICEN) ...... 22
2.2. Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)...... 22
2.3. Project consulting and coordinating agencies ...... 23
III. HUMAN RESOURCES, EQUIPMENT AND FINANCE...... 24
3.1. Project organizational chart...... 24
3.2 Organization of human resources...... 24
3.3. Equipment ...... 28
3.4 Budget ...... 29
PART II PROJECT METHODOLOGY AND IMPLEMENTATION...... 30
I. MAJOR ACTIVITIES IN SURVEY IMPLEMENTATION ...... 30
II. COMMUNE SAMPLING FRAME AND SAMPLE...... 30
2.1 Sampling Rationales in Vietnam and in Other Countries...... 30
2.2 The Results of EOC by BOMICEN...... 30
2.3 Drawing the Sample...... 32
2.4 Sampling Stages...... 32
III STAFF TRAINING...... 42
3.1 Provincial Team Leaders and Supervisor Training...... 42
3.2 Data Collection Staff Training...... 42
IV. COMMUNE SURVEY...... 43
4.1 Commune Leader Interview...... 45
4.2 Key Informant Interview...... 45
4.3 Commune Mapping Exercise...... 46
4.4 Visual Inspection...... 47
4.5 Selection of Location for Clearance...... 47
V TECHNICAL VERIFICATION ...... 48
5.1 Activities carried out...... 48
5.2 The Standard Verification Report Module...... 49
VI. PROJECT MORNITORING & QUALITY ASSURANCE...... 50
6.1. Testing and review...... 50
6.2. Field editing...... 51
6.3. Field staff supervision...... 51
6.4. Technical verification...... 51
VII DATA ENTRY, ANALYSIS AND REPORTING...... 52
7.1 IMSMA and Data Entry...... 52
7.2 Geographic Data...... 53
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
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Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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7.3 Database and Mapping Products Created...... 53
7.4 Data Analysis and Reporting...... 55
7.5 Chain of Reporting...... 56
PART III PROJECT RESULTS ...... 57
I. THREE PROVINCES:...... 57
1.1 Geographic Location, Population and Socio-economic Position:...... 57
1.2 Historical Bombardment...... 57
II. STATUS OF LANDMINE/UXO CONTAMINATION IN THE THREE PROVINCES...... 59
2.1. Affected districts and communes...... 59
2.2. Types of UXO/landmine ...... 68
III. SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT...... 68
3.1. Landmine/UXO Victims...... 68
3.2. Accidents and Consequences...... 72
3.3. Causes to the landmine/UXO accidents...... 74
3.4. Blocked Access to Resources...... 74
IV. COMMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS...... 78
4.1 Comments...... 78
4.2 Impact Assessment...... 82
4.3. Landmine/UXO impacts...... 85
V. COMMUNITY RESPONSE AND ADAPTATION...... 86
5.1. Community Response and Adaptation...... 87
5.2. Factors Relevant to Community Adaptability...... 88
5.3. Determinants of Contemporary Risks...... 90
PART IV RESPONSE TO THE LANDMINE/UXO CONTAMINATION...... 93
I. TECHNICAL RESPONSE...... 93
1.1. Cleared Area prior to the Project:...... 93
1.2. Technical Response during the Project...... 94
II. WAR SCRAP METAL COLLECTION...... 95
III. MINE RISK EDUCATION...... 95
IV. LANDMINE/UXO VICTIMS ASSISTANCE ...... 96
PART V RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION ...... 96
I. MINE AWARNESS EDUCATION AND MINE VICTIM ASSISTANCE...... 96
II. MINE/UXO CLEARANCE...... 97
2.1. Strategy design:...... 97
2.2. Clearance Strategy in the 3 provinces...... 98
CONCLUSIONS...... 101
...... 101
APPENDICES...... 102
APPENDIX 1: LIST OF SURVEYED COMMUNES...... 102
APPENDIX 2: MAPS - BOMB AND MINE AREAS AT PROVINCIAL, DISTRICT AND COMMUNE
LEVELS ...... 111
I. HA TINH PROVINCE ...... 111
II. QUANG BINH PROVINCE...... 123
III QUANG TRI PROVINCE...... 131
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
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Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1. HAZARD DENSITY...... 11
TABLE 2. BOMBED AND MINED AREA BY PROVINCE AND BY CONFIRMATION STATUS...... 11
TABLE 3. IMPACT CLASSIFICATION...... 12
TABLE 4. VICTIMS OF LANDMINE AND UXO ACCIDENTS...... 13
TABLE 5. MEAN VICTIMS PER YEAR PER PERIOD AND OUTCOME...... 13
TABLE 6. DATA COLLECTION STAFF DIVISION...... 27
TABLE 7. TECHNICAL VERIFICATION TEAMS...... 27
TABLE 8. EQUIPMENT...... 28
TABLE 9. SUSPECTED COMMUNITIES...... 31
TABLE 10. STAGES...... 32
TABLE 11. COMMUNES IN THE DISTRICTS IN WHICH WORK WAS TO BEGIN EARLY...... 32
TABLE 12. COMMUNES WITH INCOMPLETE INFORMATION...... 32
TABLE 13. ENSURING THAT EVERY DISTRICT BE REPRESENTED...... 33
TABLE 14. WEIGHTED PROBABILITY SAMPLE WITHIN EACH PROVINCE...... 33
TABLE 15. COMMUNES SELECTED BY PROVINCE AND DISTRICT...... 34
TABLE 16. ADHERENCE TO ORIGINAL SURVEY...... 36
TABLE 17. UN-WEIGHTED AND WEIGHTED SAMPLES...... 39
TABLE 18. COMMUNES BY CONTAMINATION RATING...... 39
TABLE 19. HAZARD DENSITY ACCORDING TO COMMUNES AND POPULATION...... 62
TABLE 20. HAZARD DENSITY BY PROVINCE...... 62
TABLE 21. HIGH HAZARD DENSITY...... 62
TABLE 22. SETTLEMENT TYPE AND LEVEL OF HAZARD DENSITY...... 63
TABLE 23. NUMBER OF SURVEYED COMMUNES BY POPULATION AND HAZARD...... 63
TABLE 24. STATISTICS FOR AREAS, STATUS AND SURFACE BY PROVINCE...... 64
TABLE 25. TYPICAL PORTION CONTAMINATED LAND IN TOTAL COMMUNE AREA...... 65
TABLE 26. STATISTICS FOR CONTAMINATED AREA BY DISTRICT AND PROVINCE...... 67
TABLE 27. VICTIMS OF LANDMINE AND UXO ACCIDENTS...... 69
TABLE 28. RECENT VICTIMS OF LANDMINE/UXO ACCIDENTS BY AGE, GENDER, AND
OUTCOME...... 70
TABLE 29. RECENT VICTIMS OF LANDMINE/UXO ACCIDENTS BY MILITARY AND CIVILIAN
STATUS...... 72
TABLE 30. RECENT VICTIMS OF LANDMINE/UXO ACCIDENTS PER CAPITA BY ECOLOGICAL
REGION...... 72
TABLE 31. VICTIM ACTIVITIES AT THE TIME OF RECENT ACCIDENTS...... 73
TABLE 32. FATALITY RATES OF RECENT ACCIDENTS BY GENDER AND AGE...... 73
TABLE 33. FATALITY RATES OF RECENT ACCIDENTS BY ETHNICITY AND ECOLOGICAL
ZONE...... 73
TABLE 34. VICTIM ACTIVITIES AT THE TIME OF RECENT ACCIDENTS IN MOUNTAINOUS
AREAS...... 74
TABLE 35. VICTIM ACTIVITIES AT THE TIME OF ACCIDENTS...... 74
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
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Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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TABLE 36. AFFECTED COMMUNES BY PROJECT TYPE...... 75
TABLE 37. DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AFFECTED IN PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS, BY NUMBER
OF DIFFERENT TYPES...... 77
TABLE 38. PERCENTAGE OF COMMUNES IN WHICH KEY INFORMANTS REPORTED
PROBLEMS WITH UXO OR LANDMINES...... 77
TABLE 39. TYPE OF IMPACT...... 79
TABLE 40. HEALTH RISKS...... 80
TABLE 41. IMPACT ON WATER...... 80
TABLE 42. OBSTACLES TO CONSTRUCTION...... 80
TABLE 43. IMPACT WEIGHTS USING FIRST SCORING METHOD...... 82
TABLE 44. IMPACT CATEGORY...... 85
TABLE 45. POPULATION BY IMPACT CATEGORY...... 85
TABLE 46. MEAN VICTIMS PER YEAR PER PERIOD AND OUTCOME...... 87
TABLE 47. MEAN VICTIMS PER YEAR PER PERIOD AND REGION...... 87
TABLE 48. COMMUNAL WELFARE AND LEARNING RATES...... 88
TABLE 49. MEAN PROBABILITY OF A COMMUNE TO SUFFER AT LEAST ONE VICTIM IN A
FIVE-YEAR PERIOD...... 92
TABLE 50. STATISTICS OF CLEARED AREA UNTIL NOVEMBER 2004...... 93
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
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Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1 PROJECT ORGANISATIONAL CHART...... 24
FIGURE 2. COMMUNES PROPOSED FOR SURVEY PHASE 1...... 35
FIGURE 3. THE STRUCTURE OF THE SAMPLE BY STAGES AND THE CORRESPONDENCE TO
THE PLAN ARE DISPLAYED IN THE FOLLOWING GRAPH...... 37
FIGURE 4. PWEIGHTS USED IN STATA SURVEY ESTIMATION...... 38
FIGURE 5. COMMUNES BY LEVEL OF CONTAMINATION...... 41
FIGURE 6. MAJOR STEPS IN SURVEY IMPLEMENTATION...... 44
FIGURE 7. POPULATION SIZE DISTRIBUTION...... 64
FIGURE 8. BMA (CONFIRMED & SUSPECTED) SIZE DISTRIBUTION...... 66
FIGURE 9. VICTIMS DIED IN LANDMINE/UXO ACCIDENTS BY AGE...... 71
...... 71
FIGURE 10. VICTIMS INJURED IN LANDMINE/UXO ACCIDENTS BY AGE...... 71
...... 71
FIGURE 11. COMMUNE LEADER RESPONSE...... 79
FIGURE 12. IMPACT SCORE DISTRIBUTION USING FIRST SCORING METHOD...... 83
FIGURE 13. IMPACT SCORE DISTRIBUTION USING SECOND METHOD...... 84
FIGURE 14. DETERMINANTS OF THE EXTENT OF REDUCTION IN LANDMINE/UXO
ACCIDENTS...... 89
FIGURE 15. FACTORS INFLUENCING PROBABILITY OF RECENT LANDMINE ACCIDENTS... 91
FIGURE 16. STATISTICS ON MAIN TYPES OF UXO/MINES FOUND IN BMAS...... 95
LIST OF MAPS
MAP 1 THE RESULTS OF EOC IN THREE PROVINCES...... 31
MAP 2. HISTORIC US AERIAL AND NAVAL BOMBARDMENT RECORD...... 59
MAP 3. BMA CONTAMINATION PERCENTAGE...... 65
MAP 4. MAJOR IMPACT COMBINATIONS...... 81
MAP 5. IMPACT CATEGORY...... 84
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
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Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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GLOSSARY OF ABREVIATIONS IN REPORT
APAnti-personnel
AT Anti-tank
BMA Bombed and Mined Area
BOMICEN Technology Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal
CTA Chief Technical Advisor
EM Executive Manager
EOC Expert Opinion Collection
GIS Geographic Information System
GPS Global Positioning System
GSO General Statistics Office
iMMAPInformation Management and Mine Action Programs at VVAF
IMSMA Information Management System for Mine Action
IOS Institute of Sociology
LIS Landmine Impact Survey
MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
MOD Ministry of Defense
MOH Ministry of Health
MOLISA Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs
MONRE Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
MOSTE Ministry of Science and Technology
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPS Ministry of Public Security
PD Project Director
PMU Project Management Unit
UXO Unexploded ordnance
VVAF Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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OPENING
For the last 30 years since the end of the Vietnam War, Vietnamese government authorities of all levels have been working diligently to overcome the grave repercussions left in Vietnam by the war. The government has successfully steered the country toward progress in industrialization, modernization, and safety. Yet Vietnam is still filled with millions of tons of bombs, landmines, ammunition, and unexploded ordnances left over from the more than 30 years of devastating war. Clearance of these hidden killers is a necessity for the socioeconomic development as well as the achievement of a safe and normal life for the Vietnamese people and future generations to come.
Unfortunately, the clearing of the entire country’s area of over 330.000 km2 is not feasible as it would be extremely costly both in terms of time, human resources and finance (it’s estimated that the clearance of all landmine/UXO left after the wars would cost 825.000 billion VND and take hundreds of years). Therefore, in order to save time, human resource and expenditure, it was necessary to first launch a survey to identify contaminated areas and contamination levels on a nation-wide scale, and map them in detail. The data collected will be used as a baseline to determine clearance priorities, establish a feasible clearance program, and evaluate the impact of landmine/UXO presence on the socio-economic development of the country. To ensure that the survey be complete and accurate in
identifying and conveying the impact of landmines on the community so as to create a foundation base on which the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Defense can work out strategy and specific measures to surmount landmine/UXO consequences on people’s normal lives and socio-economic development, a pilot survey needed to precede the actual survey.
On 21 February 2004, under the authorization of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam approved the project. With the financial assistance and technical consultation from the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF), the attentive cooperation and coordination of relevant agencies of 3 provinces, and the enthusiastic support of local authorities and residents, the Technology Center for Bomb and Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command developed and successfully completed the “Vietnam Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Survey” project in which the Phase 1 has been conducted in 3 provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri from 08 March 2004 up to March 2005. The data collected through the field survey has been processed to produce report that reflects the landmine/UXO contamination situation and its
impact on the regions suffering from contamination.
The results of the UXO and landmine impact assessment and survey should serve as a foundation from which to assist central and local authorities, socio-economic development policy makers and organizations to address the landmine problem and alleviate the socioeconomic harms caused by the landmine. For example, the Central strip of land, which though highly contaminated is valued by the community, can be beautified in this process. At the same time, it is expected that the survey results will draw attention and financial support from Governments and organizations both domestically and internationally in enabling three provinces dealing with their pressing needs.
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Immediately following the “American War”, from 1975 to 1977 and recently from 1991 until 1998, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam launched several landmine/ UXO detection and clearance campaigns in order to expand available agricultural land and assist in resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDP’s). Due to a variety of factors, these mass campaigns effectively cleared only explosive remnants of war (ERW) on the ground surface to a depth of 30 centimeters, and the clearance was limited to addressing the most pressing objectives of agricultural land expansion and housing. Subsurface landmine/UXO contamination and UXO in more remote areas has not yet been dealt with. Even within formerly high priority areas that benefited from these mass clearance activities much work remains to be done as dangerous ERW continue to resurface and subsurface contamination impedes economic
development activities.
To set up a map of landmine/UXO contamination and its impact on socio – economic life and provide strategic recommendations for basic solutions of landmine/UXO contamination; The Vietnamese Technology Centre for Bombs and Mines Disposal (BOMICEN), part of the Ministry of Defense (MOD), and Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) negotiated a “UXO and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey” Project in phase I (pilot phase) in three provinces (Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri). In January 2002 a partnership agreement between VVAF and BOMICEN, MOD was obtained. On 27 January 2003 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by VVAF and BOMICEN. On 21stFebruary 2004, the Project Document and budget received full approval from the MOD and the survey project commenced on 1st March 2004 and was completed in May 2005.
The extent and impact of adverse social and economic consequences to Vietnam due to the presence of landmines and UXO is largely unknown. The UXO and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey Project provide Vietnam and donors with information regarding the impact of landmines and UXO upon communities. National authorities will have the capacity to plan and prioritize scarce resources to maximum effect. Aside from the well documented benefits of regional and national survey projects to support effective mine action planning, the BOMICEN/VVAF project plays a particularly
important role in the context of the mine action environment in Vietnam, where there exists a well-established, experienced, and most importantly, sustainable national capacity for clearance and technical surveys in the Ministry of Defense. While mine action non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) undertaking clearance activities are doing valuable work at the commune level in a handful of districts in the central provinces, the enormity of the task ahead is daunting where activities of externally funded international organizations account for a small percentage of clearance reported by the MOD. Furthermore, international efforts are currently focused at sites (mostly on and around
The Technology Centre for Bomb & Mine Disposal (BOMICEN)/Engineering Command/Ministry of Defense - Vietnam
Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
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Project: Unexploded Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey
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former US military facilities) in three highly contaminated central Provinces. However, the
problem exists in all of Vietnam’s 64 provinces.
UXO and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey has been directly carried out
by BOMICEN and under BOMICEN field co-ordination (with the participants from regional
military offices in provinces). This project puts more concentration on specifying
contamination location in addition to impact factors, which are specific characters of a typical
Landmine Impact Assessment as required by international standards.
BENEFITS OF PROJECT
The following is a summary of direct outputs and benefits of phase I of “Unexploded
Ordnance and Landmine Impact Assessment and Technical Survey” project which was
jointly carried out by BOMICEN and VVAF in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces:
Provide a comprehensive UXO and Landmine Impact Assessment incorporating
international approaches;
Develop a landmine/UXO database and Geographic Information System (GIS) integrating
archive data (including historical records of US combat activities) with extensive fieldbased
verification activities;
Undertake an assessment of the socio-economic impact of landmine/UXO contamination
and rank affected communes based upon relative severity of the problem;
Conduct technical surveys in communes visited by this assessment to confirm accuracy
of data generated from community-based appraisals;
Provide maps of communes impacted by areas of landmine and UXO contamination;
Provide a victim database that identifies locations with a high frequency of accidents to
help target victim assistance and Mine Risk Education (MRE) programs;
Produce a final report and provide national and international stakeholders with approved
information to assist mitigation efforts;
Develop a credible dataset of the socio-economic impact of mines/UXO to help access
funds from national and international sources;
Provide data to allow the refinement of the national strategy for mine action, assisting
poverty reduction initiatives and modernization and development in Vietnam.
SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
UXO are littered throughout the
country in almost all provinces and
cities and contaminate every
category of topography:
forests, mountains,
pastures, cultivated land,
lakes, rivers, streams, and
coastal settings. Contamination lies
on the surface in some areas, but
considerable quantities remain
below the surface, generally
at depths ranging between zero and
five meters, while some heavy
ordnance is also found at depths in the 10-20 meter range. The level of contamination varies
between regions, with the central region of Vietnam considered the most heavily affected. Of