Depleted Uranium in Kosovo: Post-Conflict Environmental Assessment

In November 2000, following confirmation by NATO that depleted uranium (DU) had been used during the Kosovo Conflict, UNEP organised a scientific field mission to investigate the possible environmental consequences. The mission visited 11 sites, taking hundreds of measurements and collecting more than 300 samples for laboratory analysis. This report presents UNEP’s findings and conclusions on: the presence and extent of DU contamination at the study sites; corresponding risks to the environment; possible mitigation actions. UNEP urges a precautionary approach and recommends a series of measures to minimise risks to the environment and people of Kosovo and the wider Balkans region, both now and in the future.