Research on policy and regulations on changing of forest land to other land uses in Vietnam
- Authors: Yen Kim Thi Nguyen 1,2, Phin Thi Pham 3*
Affiliations:
1 Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Hanoi, Vietnam
2 Land Management and Cadastral Technology for Sustainable Development (MTS - HUMG), Hanoi, Vietnam
3 University of Natural Sciences (Vietnam National University), Hanoi, Vietnam
- *Corresponding:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Received: 14th-June-2023
- Revised: 18th-Oct-2023
- Accepted: 22nd-July-2024
- Online: 1st-Aug-2024
- Section: Geomatics and Land Administration
Abstract:
The Land Law of 2013 and the legal regulatory framework have established provisions for repurposing forest land for other uses. However, due to the widespread conversion of forest land to non-agricultural purposes and a lack of effective control, existing policies and laws exhibit certain shortcomings. Specifically, legal challenges arise from contradictions among related laws (such as the Land Law, Planning Law, Forestry Law) regarding the authority to approve the repurposing of protective and special-use forest land for alternative purposes. Additionally, the process for such repurposing is complex and lacks sufficient rigor. The main objective of this article is to propose refinements to the land policy and legal framework concerning the repurposing of protective and special-use forest land. A study collected input from 50 managers in two provinces (Quang Ninh and Lao Cai) to assess the appropriateness and direction of amendments to the land policy and laws on this matter. An evaluation of the current state of land repurposing in 12 provinces, representing six economic and social regions of the country from 2014÷2020, showed that 276.662 ha of protective forest land and 55.057 ha of special-use forest land were repurposed. The research results have proposed amendments to several articles of the 2013 Land Law and highlighted some key discussion points.
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