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Headline data

Geographical Area:

Unit of Measurement:

Footnote:

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from Lao PDR statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from Lao statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other Lao-specific metadata information.

Goal

18. Lives safe from unexploded ordnance (UXO)

Target

18.1 By 2030, minimum casualties from UXO accidents

Indicator

18.1.1 Number of UXO victims, by age and sex

Metadata update

23 June 2021

Organisation

Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

Contact person(s)

Dr. Yangkou Yangleuxai

Contact organisation unit

Department of Planning and Cooperation

Contact person function

Director general

Contact phone

+856 20 5889 1999, +856 21 2130 03/2227 77

Contact mail

Pangkham road, Chanthabouly district, Vientiane capital, Lao PDR

Contact email

Email: drynagkou@hotmail.com, suthanu1974@gmail.com

Definition and concepts

Definition: Number of UXO victims (death, disabled, injured) , by age( 0-17 years as children, above 18 years as adult) and sex (Male, female)

Unit of measure

Number

Data sources

Administrative data from accident report from the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Program (UXO Lao) and survey.

Data collection method

From yearly administrative report collected form NTSwhich follows the National Survey Procedures.

UXO Lao maintains its National Office in Vientiane. It operates in nine of the most UXO impacted provinces in the country (Huaphanh, Luangprabang, Xiengkhuang, Khammuane, Savannakhet, Salavan, Sekong, Champasak and Attapeu). In every province, the provincial office works closely with their respective Provincial Office for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication coordinates with other departments such as health, education, agriculture, and forestry for work planning purposes

  • 9 Risk Education Teams
  • 9 NTS Teams
  • 15 TS Teams
  • 80 Clearance Teams

Pre-2014 UXO Lao carried out general survey on areas for clearance and UXOs for roving tasks. Survey focused on requests for clearance of land boundaries and UXO reports from villagers. In 2014, UXO Lao changed data collection to evidence-based survey for CM called the CM Evidence-Based

Survey Started: July 2014 before NTS capacity was established

Survey team, operation, resource and implementation:

  • Currently 15 provinces with 11 person per team
  • Team Leader (EOD 3), Sect Comd (EOD 2), 8 x EOD 1s, 1 x Medic. At least 2 drivers in a team
  • Landcruiser vehicle
  • Detectors, radios, GPSs, computer, medical equipment, demolition equipment and explosives – fully equipped

For more details please see, Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Program (UXO Lao) Survey Operations, Kongkeo Saeng Oudomxay, 7 June 2017 (presentation). Link is provided in the reference.

Data collection calendar

As event occur throughout the year, 2021

Data release calendar

Annually, next release will be in 2022

Data providers

Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

Data compilers

Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare

Institutional mandate

The current National Strategic Plan for the UXO Sector in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic 2011 – 2020, “The Safe Path Forward II” (SPFII), details that the goal of the Government and its development partners over the 2011 -2020 period is to reduce the humanitarian and socio-economic threats posed by UXO to the point where the residual contamination and challenges can be adequately addressed by a sustainable national capacity fully integrated into the regular institutional set-up of the Government.

The national survey procedures (NSP) developed with participation from all stakeholders formally changed and approved the NSP (in January 2015) as the standard to be used by all survey organisations.

Rationale

Lao PDR is the most heavily bombed country in the world. More than forty years after the end of the 1964-1973 Indochina Conflict, unexploded ordnance (UXO) remains a major humanitarian and socio-economic challenge to the country, causing deaths and injuries, limiting access to potentially productive land and adding substantial costs to processes of development. The Government of Lao PDR has been active in the process of clearance since shortly after the conflict. Lao PDR has advocated for the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and hosted the first Meeting of States Parties in 2010. Thus, Lao PDR embraced the UXO issue as a key development matter by locally establishing SDG 18.

Comment and limitations

Resistance to change from clearance of land boundaries presented issues in terms of technical survey coverage resulting to possible underreporting

Some incomplete confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs) still need correcting (an ongoing process)

Not all confirmed hazardous areas (CHAs) are on information management system for mine action (IMSMA (an ongoing process)

Method of computation

Total number of victims (death, disabled, injured) caused by UXO in age( 0-17 years as children, above 18 years as adult) and sex (Male, female) nationwide.

Quality management

Managing the quality of the indicator is guided by the national survey procedures (NSP) developed with participation from all stakeholders and approved by the National Regulatory Authority in January 2015. The NSP is the standard used by all survey organisations including the UXO.

Quality assurance

Issues with technical surveys related to quality was addressed by either by retraining and or replacing personnel.

To ensure good results for the NTS, following were adhered to:

  • No time limit was set in conducting the NTS
  • Work around villagers’ routines
  • Work in multiple villages at one time
  • Maximise exposure to villagers - stay in village if possible
  • Maximise villager participation
  • Have gender balance and appropriate language skill in NTS team

Approaches/tools are periodically assessed to determine what will work best for a particular community/target group

Data availability and disaggregation

Data are available annually from 2015 to present

Disaggregation: Sex, age

Comparability/deviation from international standards

Additional SDG Indicator

References and Documentation

Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Program (UXO Lao) Survey Operations, Kongkeo Saeng Oudomxay, 7 June 2017 (presentation)
https://www.jmu.edu/cisr/_pages/CMRS/cmrs-pdfs/UXO-Lao.pdf

Lao national UXO Website: https://uxolao.gov.la/

MOLSW Website: http://www.molsw.gov.la/
NRA Website: http://www.nra.gov.la

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.