Binh Dinh province: UXO-free land new home to farmers from flood-prone areas
For many years, Ms Nguyen Thi Sen, 61, in Cat Nhon commune, Phu Cat district in Binh Dinh province, experienced water coming into her house in flooding season. “I used to be scared when flooding season came,” said Ms. Sen. “I often had to put my belongings up and take my children and the cow to the house of family or friends until the flooding passed.”
Ms. Sen was recently provided with a plot of land above the flood plain. She had her new house built and the construction completed in time for her and her children to move in before the flooding season started. “I am no longer worried about flooding,” she said with a big smile.
Ms Sen’s is among the 29 families who have been relocated from the lowland to this higher area in Cat Nhon commune. Local government provided each family with 200 square meters of land and VND20 million to build house.

This safe area is part of the 9,000 hectares of land that had been surveyed and cleared from unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines by the Korea-Viet Nam Mine Action project. Leaders of the Viet Nam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam have officially handed over the map with post-clearance land and documents to local government and communities for socio-economic development.
At the handover ceremony, both UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Caitlin Wiesen and KOICA Country Director Mr. Cho Han-Deog highly appreciated the dedication and effort of the survey and clearance teams in ensuring that the work was carried out safely, at high quality, and on schedule, despite challenges caused by COVID-19 and the weather conditions.
“I am so moved to hand over the documents of 9.000 hectares of surveyed and cleared land in Binh Dinh, one of most UXO contaminated provinces in Viet Nam,” Ms. Wiesen said. “UNDP is honored to partner with VNMAC and KOICA to extend this work and release land for people’s development.”
