The following files are in Google Earth format. NRA has decided to distribute files in Google Earth Format for the following reasons:

1) Google is starting to make high resolution satellite imagery available for Lao PDR (for free).
2) The Google Earth Viewer Application is free and can be downloaded here Google Earth Viewer Download
Once you have installed the Google Earth viewer, to view the data simply click on the links below
(a KMZ Google Earth file will begin downloading and when complete should open automatically in the viewer.)

UXO Lao: Clearance Data 1999 to Spring 2006

Supporting Commercial and UXO clearance Programs

The new National Strategic Plan, titled “The Safe Path Forward,” was promulgated by Prime Ministerial Decree 33/PM on 17 March 2004.Developed by the Lao government with UNDP support, the plan creates a new National Regulatory Authority (NRA) to oversee and coordinate UXO/mine action activities. The NRA, which will report directly to the Prime Minister, is composed of representatives from all concerned government ministries, with observers from the donor community. Operating agencies, whether national or international, will report to the NRA. UXO Lao will shift to become a UXO/mine clearance agency only, without a national coordinating function. Agencies will be grouped into three sectoral components: Community Awareness, Clearance (including humanitarian, commercial and military), and Victim Assistance. UXO Lao will remain under the umbrella of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, while the Ministry of Information and Culture will oversee risk education and the Ministry of Health will oversee victim assistance. UXO Lao will continue to work in the nine provinces where it currently operates; independent operators may be able to expand into areas not being covered by UXO Lao.

In April 2004, the Government of Lao PDR officially adopted the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for the UXO Programme detailing the strategy of the sector and stipulating the objectives for the period 2003 – 2013. The plan calls for an institutional reform of the sector with the creation of the NRA. This reorganization will allow UXO LAO to focus more intensely on its field operations and on the improvement of its management capacity.

The plan also calls for the return of "independent operators" besides UXO LAO to increase the productivity and the outputs of the sector. The new operators will not only increase the level of concrete operational outputs but will also engage in developing new methodologies, technologies and working methods which should help to enhance the overall efficiency of the sector.
The main aim of the strategic plan is to enable people from the most highly impacted communities to live free from the impacts of landmines and UXO. Specific objectives of the strategic plan include: