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Land-use planning
The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s key southern economic region, contributing approximately 50% of the nation's rice output, 95% of rice exports, 65% of aquaculture production, and 70% of fruit output. With a natural area of about 4 million hectares, the region faces several severe challenges: climate change, sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, land subsidence, and intense competition for land use between agriculture, industry, urbanization, and ecosystem conservation. In this context, rational, scientific, and sustainable land-use planning has become an urgent task, requiring the involvement of the entire political system, various sectors, and local communities.
Legal Regulations on Land-Use Planning
The 2024 Land Law (effective from August 1, 2024, replacing the 2013 Land Law) is the supreme legal document governing land planning, management, and use. The Law stipulates a three-tier land-use planning system: national, provincial, and district levels. Notably, the new law emphasizes that land planning must align with the national master plan and regional planning while ensuring connectivity between localities within the region—a factor of vital importance for the Mekong Delta, given its natural hydrological, ecological, and economic interconnections.
The 2017 Planning Law establishes the legal framework for integrating sectoral plans into the master plan. Accordingly, land-use planning in the Mekong Delta must be integrated and consistent with the Mekong Delta Regional Plan for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050—the strategic orientation document for the entire region.
At the local level, all 13 provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta have approved their Provincial Plans for 2021–2030. Within these, land-use planning is a core component, clearly defining areas for agricultural land, non-agricultural land, and unused land, while directing land-use restructuring to suit the practical conditions of each locality.
Strategic Plans and Programs
Resolution No. 120/NQ-CP (2017) on "Sustainable Development of the Mekong Delta Adapting to Climate Change" marked a pivotal shift in the region's land-use planning mindset. The resolution transitioned from a "pure agricultural production" mindset to an "agricultural economy" focus, and from "fighting nature" to "proactive adaptation and nature-based solutions." Specifically, it directs land-use restructuring across three ecological zones:
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Upper Zone (An Giang, Dong Thap, Long An): Prioritizing rice cultivation and high-tech agricultural development.
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Middle Zone (Can Tho, Hau Giang, Vinh Long, Tien Giang, Ben Tre): Diversifying crops and developing fruit orchard regions.
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Coastal Zone (Tra Vinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Kien Giang): Shifting toward aquaculture and mangrove reforestation.
Decision No. 287/QD-TTg (2022), approving the Mekong Delta Regional Plan, concretized land-use targets: by 2030, rice cultivation land will decrease to approximately 1.7 million hectares (from over 2 million hectares currently), while aquaculture land will increase to about 970,000 hectares, and fruit trees to 450,000 hectares. The plan also identifies wetlands for conservation, ecological corridors, and green spaces requiring strict protection.
Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW (2022) of the Politburo reaffirmed the restructuring of agricultural land use by reducing inefficient rice areas, expanding fruit and aquaculture areas, and developing ecological agriculture.
Incentives and Support Mechanisms for Land-Use Conversion
Decree No. 62/2019/ND-CP: Amending regulations on rice land management, it allows flexible conversion from rice cultivation to annual crops, perennial crops, or aquaculture in unsuitable rice-growing areas. Conversion does not require a formal "change of land use purpose" permit but must be registered with the local Commune People’s Committee.
Agricultural Restructuring Support Programs: Localities have implemented schemes helping farmers switch from inefficient triple-crop rice farming to more profitable models like rice-shrimp, rice-fish, or high-value fruit trees (mango, durian, pomelo). Farmers receive support regarding seedlings, techniques, preferential loans, and market linkages.
Land Accumulation and Concentration Policies: The 2024 Land Law expands the limits for transferring agricultural land-use rights, facilitating large-scale production areas, mechanization, and high-tech agriculture.
Investment Attraction Mechanisms: Industrial zones and coastal economic zones (e.g., Nam Can in Ca Mau, Dinh An in Tra Vinh) are designated as non-agricultural land with incentives in taxes, land rents, and infrastructure to attract agri-seafood processing enterprises.
Community Initiatives and International Cooperation: Organizations such as GIZ, the World Bank, and UNDP have assisted the Mekong Delta in creating flood and salinity maps to serve as a scientific basis for planning. Community-based land management models have also been piloted to involve citizens in planning and monitoring.
Challenges
and Recommendations
To improve efficiency, it is essential to: Strengthen inter-provincial coordination in planning and land use; Complete digital land databases for management; Enhance public awareness of the role of planning; Periodically review and adjust plans to match the actual developments of climate change and market trends.
Despite a relatively comprehensive legal framework, land-use planning in the Mekong Delta faces several hurdles: (1) Persistent overlaps between sectoral and provincial plans; (2) Spontaneous land-use conversion that deviates from official planning; (3) Irrigation and transport infrastructure that is not yet synchronized with land-use plans; (4) Climate change progressing faster than predicted, requiring high flexibility in planning.