MAG and the European Commission are continuing their history of successful partnership in Khammouane province with a new project worth 500,000 Euros.

The two-year project started on 1 April and will clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) from 20 villages in Boulapha, Gnommalat and Mahaxay districts.

Removing UXO not only reduces the risk of death or injury, but improves food security and allows rural development activities to be carried out safely.

The project will also build the capacity of local authorities to undertake management of UXO clearance.

One of the findings of a study conducted by MAG during 2007-08 was that more could be done to support local authorities. At provincial and district level, the Department of Labour and Social Welfare (DoLSW) is heavily involved with prioritising UXO clearance tasks.

The study found that there was room for improvement in terms of increasing community participation in the process and speeding it up. In addition, the time between task selection and clearance was at times very long.

Four DoLSW personnel - three of them from district level - will be involved in the capacity building programme, with the intention that their training is then passed onto other staff.

"MAG's experience is that involving the community in decisions about UXO clearance is the best way to ensure that people benefit from it," said Boualaphan Inthaxay, MAG's Community Liaison Coordinator.

"This project will give local authorities the support they need to be able to do this, and to match clearance with development priorities," she said.

For more information on MAG's work in Lao PDR please visit www.maginternational.org/laopdr