Urban land grab or fair urbanization?: Compulsory land acquisition and sustainable livelihoods in Hue, Vietnam

In: https://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/325243

Open Access

Abstract

Urbanization often goes hand in hand with a growing demand for housing, urban infrastructure and other facilities that are necessary for sustainable urban development. This has created numerous pressures on land, especially in peri-urban areas where land, traditionally used for agriculture, is still available and is cheaper than urban land. In order to procure land, when and where needed, the government of Vietnam uses the mechanism of compulsory land acquisition as a policy tool. The land conversion and acquisition have become a hot topic, attracting attention not only from land administrators, but also from the media, politicians, and local communities. Many have raised questions on whether land conversion, occurring through the mechanism of land acquisition by the government, is a fair process as well as whether or not this process creates opportunities for local development. This study aims to provide a better understanding of the processes of land acquisition for urban development and the implications for equitable and sustainable development in Vietnam. In particular, special attention is given to an in-depth study in Hue City in Central Vietnam to understand the impacts of land acquisition on the livelihoods of those whose land is acquired, the role of compensation policies in livelihood reconstruction, and the social tensions and reactions that result from land loss. There are five important conclusions drawn from this study: •The level of participation among main actors involved in land acquisition processes (i.e., the local government, the developers, and the affected people) is unequal, leading to unfair outcomes. •Almost all households after land loss pursue a diversified livelihood in which farm and non-farm activities are combined. This indicates that farming is still considered important. •The majority of households actually are able to reconstruct their livelihoods and realize better living conditions after land loss. Nevertherless, some issues emerged to challenge local equitable and sustainable ...