Norway unexploded ammunition may amount to around one million tonnes across the country’s natural areas and coastal waters, according to an estimate cited by Norwegian defence researchers as Parliament prepares to request a national mapping and clean-up plan.
The figure, reported by NTB and Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, refers to unexploded ammunition left in Norwegian nature and waters, much of it dating back to the Second World War. The issue is expected to move higher on the political agenda as the Storting considers a proposal to create a consolidated overview of ammunition sites and ask the government to prepare a clearance plan during the year.
A wartime legacy still lying in Norwegian nature
Lieutenant Colonel and senior researcher Geir P. Novik at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt, FFI) told NTB that researchers assume there are about one million tonnes of unexploded ammunition in Norwegian nature and Norwegian waters.
Most of the material is believed to originate from the Second World War and to lie on the seabed. Norway’s long coastline, wartime military infrastructure and post-war disposal practices have left a complex legacy that is difficult to map with precision.
The estimate does not mean that all the ammunition is immediately dangerous in the same way. Some objects may remain buried or submerged for decades. Others may become more unstable because of corrosion, movement of sediments, construction work, fishing activity or changes in the surrounding environment.
Why unexploded ordnance is still a safety risk
Novik warned that there is always a risk that the material could detonate, either because of an accident during excavation work or because it becomes more unstable over time.
That risk is particularly relevant in areas where land development, seabed work, harbour projects, fishing or energy infrastructure may bring people and machinery into contact with old munitions. Even when the probability of an incident is low, the consequences can be serious.
The issue also has an environmental dimension. Ammunition left in the sea can contain explosives, metals and other hazardous substances. As casings deteriorate, they may release pollutants into marine ecosystems. For Norway, where coastal waters are central to fishing, transport, energy and local communities, the question is not only one of military history but also of long-term environmental management.
The Storting is moving towards a national overview
The immediate political background is a proposal from the Conservative Party (Høyre). According to NTB, the Storting is expected to approve a request for a comprehensive national overview of ammunition in nature, together with a government plan for clearance.
Such a mapping effort could help identify where the risks are greatest, which areas should be prioritised and how responsibilities should be divided between defence authorities, environmental agencies, municipalities and infrastructure operators.
A national plan would also make it easier to distinguish between sites requiring urgent action and those that can be monitored over time. Clearance operations are technically complex, expensive and sometimes risky in themselves, especially when the material is located underwater.
A Nordic security issue with an environmental cost
Norway is not alone in facing the long-term consequences of wartime ammunition. Across Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region, unexploded ordnance and dumped munitions remain a safety and environmental challenge decades after the end of the Second World War.
The Norwegian case is particularly significant because much of the suspected material lies in waters that are economically and strategically important. Ports, fisheries, subsea cables, offshore energy projects and military infrastructure all depend on safer and better-mapped coastal zones.
The coming government plan will therefore be watched not only as a clean-up measure, but as part of a broader discussion on how Nordic countries manage historical military risks in a period of renewed attention to defence, resilience and environmental protection.
For Norway, the next step is to move from estimates to knowledge: identifying where the ammunition is, assessing the real level of danger and deciding how much of this wartime legacy can realistically be removed.
