Researchers and development practitioners have an interest in the relationship between land and rural livelihoods. In this context, agricultural land is being increasingly lost because of developing industrialization in the provinces of Vietnam. The livelihoods of people, whose land is appropriated, are affected. Therefore, this article investigates the impact of land acquisition and compensation on the labor and income of people when the State acquires their land to construct Industrial park projects. For the research methods, secondary data from select governmental agencies were gathered, and 50 households were interviewed to collect primary data. The results of this research indicated that although household livelihoods have been reconstructed after land acquisition, many issues are also emerging that may challenge equitable and sustainable development. These include a high proportion of households with insufficient employment, as well as those that are spending compensation money in ways that do not generate income.

Land-use change is a human process aimed at transforming the natural landscape and emphasizing the role and function of land for socio-economic activities. However, we do not know how the land transition in Vietnam has been proceeding recently. Thus, this article aims to examine the current urbanization process of land conversion in Vietnam. To explore the current situation and recent change of land use, the author analyzed standardized databases and maps from reports of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam (MoNRE), the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO), and the land cover map of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Research results show that the land transition in Vietnam has been similar to the world trend. The highest land conversion rate occurs in the North Central and Central Coast regions, but conversion of agricultural land for urbanization is mainly in the Red River Delta and Southeast. The study also noted some negative socio-economic impacts of land conversion on the lives of suburban residents.

This article describes the relationship between the land use purpose conversion and households’ livelihoods in suburban Vinh City, Nghe An province. In the survey with 170 households losing their land to build the VSIP Nghe An industrial park project, this article shows the double impact of this issue. (1) On the positive side, households’ quality of life in the current period shows a significant improvement. They are living in better conditions with more spacious houses and modern facilities than before. The average income of households increased by 900 USD than before. (2) On the negative side, the unemployment rate increases with women older than 35 years and men older than 40 years. Along with the improper use of compensation received, income sustainability is a doubt for these households’ future.

The process of transitioning from a rural to an urban setting and from an agricultural to an industrial economy is referred to as urbanization, a complex socioeconomic process. Peri-urbanization is very common in Vietnam, and urban centers are expanding into rural areas. However, there is frequently insufficient infrastructure to support such development. As a result of the restricted availability of land, urbanization frequently necessitates the acquisition of agricultural property by the state in order to encourage development. In this study, we compare land acquisition and compensation policies with post-acquisition livelihoods in Vietnam across urban strata. The study sites are urban regions of Hanoi, Danang, and Vinh. We collected qualitative and quantitative data via 370 questionnaires and 30 interviews. Our results indicate that policy implementation was lower in larger cities, but the post-acquisition employment of affected households followed the opposite trend. In all three locations, most households used compensation money to repay debt, repair or purchase assets such as homes and personal modes of transportation, and invest in future generations. After acquisition, Danang experienced a decline in their quality of life, as measured by their savings and their level of perceived comfort, whereas the other two cities saw an increase. Only Hanoi reported a higher level of post-acquisition life satisfaction. Post-acquisition livelihood is influenced in some way by each of the five variables that make up the sustainable livelihood model: natural, human, physical, social, and financial capital.

Land tenure is an individual relationship to the land. Vietnam applies a regime of universal ownership of land. The land belongs to all the people of Vietnam, but the State represents the owner. Land ownership in Vietnam includes three fundamental rights: the right to possess, use, and dispose of land. When the State allocates land to land users, it only assigns them the right to own and use land. This article evaluated one out of eight rights to dispose of land by the State, land acquisition. Data was collected from a survey with 100 land-expropriated households, five interviews with authorities at all levels, and five interviews with households living next to the study area. The results show that land acquisition does not ensure fairness for families who lose land. Compensation rates are six to eight times lower for agricultural land. The right to access land information is also not appreciated when people do not know their household compensation details. Another inequity was also seen between households who lost land and those living around the land acquisition project.

The real estate market in areas with many socio-economic activities needs to be strictly managed due to the difference between the market price of urban land and the price of land set by the state. This study identifies and analyzes the influence of some factors on land prices in peri-urban areas to develop land pricing standards consistent with the price level in Nghe An province. The study surveyed 362 land users and 200 samples of successfully transferred properties in the study area. Based on the multivariate regression method, the study builds a residential land price model and calculates the market price of residential land. The authors also established a map of land value areas to help State agencies manage land prices effectively. The research serves as a basis for State agencies to study the formation and development of the real estate market to develop appropriate land price management measures.