Int’l Donors Help Vietnam Modernize Land Management System

The World Bank (WB) and the Embassy of New Zealand have supported Vietnam in completing and modernizing land management system for the country, a local official said. Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Manh Hien made the assessment at a seminar in Hanoi on Jan 4 to review the three-year implementation of the Vietnam Land Administration Project (VLAP). This is a “golden chance” for Vietnam’s land administration sector, Hien said, however, noting that the project should focus on finalizing a land database as an important foundation for the building of a modern land administration model. Heather Riddell, a representative from the New Zealand Embassy, said New Zealand is willing to provide further assistance Vietnam in completing its land management system in the coming years. She shared views with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) on the need to build a modern land administration system based on a uniform land database from the central to local levels. The project has been carried out in nine localities of Hanoi; Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Vinh Long, Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces in the 2008-2013 period. To date, the project has completed surveying and mapping on nearly 400,000 ha of land. (Vietnamplus.vn Jan 4)