Protecting Nature while preventing harm.
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) has the unenviable distinction of being the most heavily bombed country on earth. From 1964-1973, the U.S. dropped over 2 million tons of explosive ordnance on Lao PDR in one of the largest aerial bombardments in history. The widespread damage caused by the explosions killed and injured tens of thousands of people, destroyed entire villages, riddled the earth with bomb craters, and scorched countless acres of agricultural land and unique biodiverse ecosystems endemic to Lao PDR. As a case study about the environmental impacts of the use of explosive weapons in armed conflict , Lao PDR presents a strong cautionary tale. The massive harm from explosive weapons at the time of their use and the scale of the still-present threat of UXO contamination are obvious arguments for prevention of environmental harm before the conduct of military intervention . It is also important in as the consideration of environmental harm caused during, and aft...