Long-term vision for building resettlement areas

Significant demand for resettlement

Vinh Bao Commune is set to host several upcoming infrastructure and industrial projects, such as the road connecting National Highway 5 to National Highway 10 through the commune and the An Hoa Industrial Park. According to Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, Vice Chairwoman of the Vinh Bao Commune People’s Committee, a 2026 survey shows that the locality will need at least 150 resettlement land plots to serve these projects. Meanwhile, the city is preparing to invest in a resettlement area in Diem Niem 1 Hamlet with a scale of 1.94 hectares, providing around 99 plots.

This resettlement area is only sufficient to serve the An Hoa Industrial Park project. Therefore, to avoid becoming a “bottleneck” in site clearance, the locality has proposed that the city consider expanding both the area and scale of the resettlement site in Diem Niem 1 Hamlet.

The project to build a road connecting National Highway 5 with National Highway 10 through Kien An Ward requires the acquisition and clearance of 17.2 hectares of land. However, the implementation process is facing many difficulties, especially for households whose residential land is being reclaimed.

According to the requirements of the city and the investor, site clearance must be completed early to ensure construction can begin in the second quarter. However, the ward currently does not have a resettlement area to accommodate eligible households. Meanwhile, the investor has proposed arranging resettlement in an area within Duong Kinh Ward.

Due to the distance from their current homes, most residents prefer to be resettled near the land being acquired to minimize disruptions to their daily lives.

According to Mr. Duong Dinh On, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in 2026 the entire city has 431 projects requiring site clearance, covering 14,942.33 hectares and involving 165,604 households and 424 organizations. Many of these projects require resettlement arrangements for affected residents. Delays in resettlement planning have impacted the progress of site clearance. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the city had 18 projects undergoing site clearance, involving 3,630 households and 18 organizations across 12 localities, but the implementation rate remains low.

Resettlement must go ahead of project implementation

Surveys show that very few communes, wards, or special zones in the city currently have ready-built resettlement areas to accommodate residents before land acquisition takes place. Most resettlement areas are only developed after projects have already commenced. This has negatively affected communication and mobilization efforts to encourage residents to hand over land for site clearance in many major projects.

For example, the Ring Road 2 project (Tan Vu – Hung Dao – Bui Vien section), although launched more than a year ago (March 2025), has seen the construction package for its resettlement area reach just over 36.4% completion. Due to the lack of available resettlement sites, local authorities and investors have had to arrange temporary accommodations for households whose land has been acquired.

According to Mr. Nguyen Phong Doanh, Chairman of the Kien An Ward People’s Committee, the city has approved the construction of two resettlement areas in the ward, providing around 370 land plots in the Tay Son retention lake area and along Road No. 2 of Le Duan Street. To ensure project progress, the locality has proposed that the city expedite the implementation of these resettlement projects.

“Investing in resettlement areas not only provides residents with stable, long-term housing but also helps build public consensus in site clearance, thereby accelerating project progress and minimizing additional costs,” Mr. Doanh said.

Recognizing that proactively securing land funds and building resettlement areas is a key solution to address obstacles in site clearance, Hai Phong City has adopted the approach of “resettlement ahead of projects.”

Specifically, for the Lao Cai – Ha Noi – Hai Phong railway project, the city has allocated budget to invest in nine resettlement areas, covering a total of 30.9 hectares and providing 1,378 land plots. For the climate-resilient urban development project, the city’s People’s Committee has approved the construction of two resettlement areas in Nam Trieu and Bach Dang wards, with a total area of 33.87 hectares and an investment of over VND 900 billion. Both projects are expected to break ground in the second quarter of 2026.

During implementation, city leaders require that resettlement areas be developed with fully integrated technical and social infrastructure in a modern and civilized manner, ensuring living conditions that are equal to or better than previous residences. Investments must be carried out on a large scale with a long-term vision to meet the needs of multiple projects over time. This approach not only safeguards the rights and interests of residents whose land is acquired but also helps resolve site clearance bottlenecks, thereby promoting the city’s socio-economic development.

Minh Khoi

Minh Khoi