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Declassified images and artificial intelligence reveal bomb sites buried decades ago, accelerating efforts to save lives and reclaim farmland in Southeast Asia
In the rice fields of Cambodia and the forests of Vietnam, dangers from the past continue to lurk. Decades after the end of armed conflict, bombs and landmines still affect thousands of lives.
Now, a union between technology and historical memory begins to reveal where these explosives remain hidden.
Traces of a war that never ended
Between the late 1960s and 1990s, Cambodia experienced a long civil war. It is estimated that around ten million mines and explosives were scattered across the country.
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Most remain active even after the official end of the conflict in 1998. Since then, more than 20 people have died in mine incidents. Another 45 have been injured.
According to Tobias Hewitt, country director of the NGO HALO Trust in Cambodia, more than 50 accidents are still recorded each year. “The number is steadily decreasing, but it is still a huge problem.“, he told Space.com.
Vietnam is in a similar situation. During the Vietnam War, the United States dropped millions of tons of bombs on the country.
Many failed to explode, especially in agricultural areas. The soft, moist soil cushioned the impacts but did not prevent the threat.
"The most fertile land is also the most dangerous“, explained Erin Lin, a political scientist at Ohio State University. Farmers continue to work these fields because they depend on them.”If we don't do this, we won't be able to survive.“, said Hoàng Thi Mai Chi, manager of the Mining Advisory Group in Vietnam.
Space photos reveal clues to danger
For years, the work of locating mines was done with metal detectors, a long and imprecise process. That began to change in 2011, when the US declassified images from the Cold War-era HEXAGON spy satellites.
These images show the terrain as it was in decades past.”We were able to overlay these images onto Google Earth and identify ancient roads.“, Hewitt said.
These roads are important routes. Retreating troops used to place mines along them. However, many routes have disappeared under vegetation or crops.
"Not knowing that there was a road there, people think it is just ordinary land and cultivate it.“Hewitt said. This, unfortunately, leads to accidents.
Using the images, HALO Trust has already mapped thousands of suspicious locations in western Cambodia. However, each area still needs to be investigated in person.
The process involves aligning old images with modern maps and analyzing everything step by step.
Artificial intelligence enters the war against mines
Meanwhile, in Vietnam, data scientist Philipp Barthelme began studying declassified CIA footage during the pandemic.
He trained an artificial intelligence (AI) model to identify bomb craters. His goal: to predict where bombs might have fallen but not exploded.
"The simplest thing is to detect the craters. The challenge is to understand how this can help the work of demining NGOs.”, said Barthelme. His project became a PhD at the University of Edinburgh.
However, there are limits. Large bombs create visible craters. Smaller munitions, such as fragmentation munitions, do not leave easily identifiable marks.
Another breakthrough came with DeskAId, an AI tool developed by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Created by Martin Jebens and his team, the system uses historical data and satellite imagery to predict areas where mines are likely to be located. It analyzes the proximity of roads, buildings and hospitals — common sites of past conflicts.
The system, which is being tested in Cambodia, has achieved accuracy of up to 92%. Despite the good results, its creators warn that only humans can confirm what the machines suggest.
"There is enormous potential to save time, money and, most importantly, lives.“, Andro Mathewson told the magazine New Scientist.
Resource limits and challenges on the ground
Despite the progress, the work still faces obstacles. Cambodia has already cleaned up more than 3.200 km² of contaminated areas.
However, about 470 km² remain. In Vietnam, the exact extent is still unknown. Many affected areas are mountainous and isolated, requiring long journeys.
During Donald Trump’s second term, the United States suspended foreign aid for bomb disposal for more than a month. For programs that depend on that funding, the pause was troubling.
Explosives consultant Seán Moorhouse questioned the US role. “There is a moral obligation, as they dropped the bombs. Any cut in funding would be disastrous for Vietnam,” he said.
Living memories and hope for the future
Today, Hoàng Thi Mai Chi continues to help farming families in Vietnam. She saw the horrors of war firsthand when she was a child. Now, she dedicates her life to preventing others from going through the same.
"Even my children today ask about the war”, she said. “But we have to move forward. We are working with different countries, not just the United States, to rebuild Vietnam."
For these communities, peace does not just mean an end to gunfire. It means reclaiming the land, step by step, from a past that insists on remaining buried.
