Eighty-six per cent of households in Lao PDR whose land was cleared by MAG have reported higher income.
This is a direct contribution to meeting the first United Nations Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.
Eighty per cent of communities surveyed by MAG in Khammouane province, and 91 per cent of communities surveyed in Xieng Khouang province, reported higher incomes following clearance. The recently completed assessment covered 848 clearance sites - 85 per cent of all sites MAG cleared in 2008.
Annual household income rose by an average of 1.1 million kip, a substantial increase for most.
Increased incomes were the result of being able to grow more crops, which enabled some people to produce more than they needed for their own consumption - this surplus could then be sold.
Some households reported that they could plough their land more deeply after clearance, because they were confident that they would not hit any items of UXO. The more effective ploughing accounts for the increased crop yields.
Many other positive changes were reported, including a greater feeling of safety for family and property and increased access to services.
The report also found that the capacity of households to use cleared land is affected by three key factors - availability of time and labour, and the type of land. If any one of these three factors is limited, full use will not be made of the cleared land.
These factors highlight the importance of integrating UXO clearance with development activities. MAG's community-based methodology ensures that the most vulnerable households are prioritised for both clearance and any interventions that follow.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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