Across Laos, the echoes of a war that finished nearly half a century ago, still linger, in the form of unexploded ordnance (UXO) including bombs, cluster munitions, mortars and grenades, as well as an assortment of potentially dangerous ammunition including rifle and pistol rounds. From 1964 to 1973, during the Vietnam War, the United States dropped over two million tons of bombs on Laos to disrupt North Vietnamese supply routes. This campaign left an estimated 80 million unexploded cluster munitions, scattered across the country.
The impact on the Laotian people has been profound. UXOs have killed or injured an estimated 50,000 individuals since 1964, with accidents continuing to occur regularly. These remnants of conflict not only threaten lives but also hinder socioeconomic development, restricting access to agricultural land and inflating the costs of development projects.
Clearing UXOs is a painstaking and dangerous process. Teams from local and international organisations work diligently to remove both surface and sub-surface UXOs. The process involves extensive surveying, risk education, and the careful use of metal detectors to locate and safely dispose of these deadly legacies.
At Phu Bia Mining, although our two operations are far from the more heavily bombed areas, predominantly along the Ho Chi Minh trail on the border with Vietnam, the company remains committed to clearance efforts prioritising community needs, agricultural lands, and development project sites receiving attention first. Despite the challenges posed by geography and the sheer volume of UXOs, progress is being made. Since 1996, only one per cent of UXOs have been cleared, but the work continues with the support of international aid and the dedication of clearance teams.
The clearance of UXOs is more than just removing bombs; it’s about reclaiming the land and securing a safer, more prosperous future for the next generation.
PBM UXO Clearance since 2006
No of UXO (Destroyed)
No of Ammunition (Destroyed)
Total UXO Cleared Area (sqm)
Cost USD
