Land resources: Dong Nai’s strategic driver in a new phase of development

Dong Nai province is entering a new phase of development with high expectations for breakthroughs. In this process, land is identified as a particularly important resource, serving both as a foundation and a driver to open up development space.

The land plot in the heart of Tran Bien ward has been prioritized by the Provincial People’s Committee for the planning and development of housing projects for low-income earners. Photo: Hoang Loc

Seizing this opportunity, the province is revising its planning to fully leverage its advantages, with the goal of positioning Dong Nai as a comprehensive and sustainable growth pole of the country.

Currently, agricultural land covers more than 1 million hectares, with over 80 percent suitable for establishing specialized farming zones applying high technology, forming a foundation for enhancing the value of agricultural products. The large and well-distributed non-agricultural land fund provides favorable conditions for the continued expansion of industrial zones and clusters with integrated infrastructure, thereby attracting high-quality foreign investment and high-tech industrial projects.

According to Vo Tan Duc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee (PPC) and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Dong Nai is standing before an opportunity to become one of the country’s leading centers of economy, industry and logistics services. In the coming period, the province will continue to regard industry as the main driver. With its strategic location, convenient transportation network, and 82 industrial parks in the planning, Dong Nai still has ample room to attract high-tech, clean, and environmentally friendly industries.

Long Thanh International Airport, Phuoc An Port, border gates, and especially 390km of expressways under construction not only facilitate cargo circulation and travel but also create opportunities for the province to become a modern logistics hub, develop trade and financial services, and establish itself as the gateway connecting the Southeast directly with regional and global markets.

In addition, Dong Nai holds the largest area of forestry land in Southern Vietnam, encompassing a biosphere reserve, national parks, protective forests, and mangrove forests. This feature represents strong potential for developing a forest-based economy, eco-tourism, and "carbon credit" trading, while also serving as a “green lung” that safeguards ecological balance and connects economic growth with sustainable development.

According to Dr. Tran Du Lich, member of the National Monetary Policy Advisory Council and Dong Nai’s socio-economic advisory group, following the merger, the province has all the necessary conditions for sustainable development. These include a large area, a sizable population, an international airport, a seaport, border gates, a long-established industrial base, and an extensive road and rail network. Among these, land resources, combined with geographical advantages and key projects, form the foundation for Dong Nai to become a leading multi-sector, multi-polar growth center in the South, serving as both a regional connector and an international gateway.

Dong Nai currently has a natural area of more than 12,700 square kilometers, 84 percent of which is agricultural land. This feature provides a crucial foundation for the province to develop high-tech agriculture, expand its industry, urban areas, and services, thereby generating sustainable growth momentum.

Green riverside real estate project in Long Hung ward, Dong Nai province. Photo: Hoang Loc

According to Deputy Secretary of the PPC and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Vo Tan Duc, this is a “golden time” for Dong Nai to adjust its planning. The adjustment is not only a legal requirement but also a strategic opportunity to reposition development space after the merger.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tran Du Lich emphasized that in the context of newly expanded development space, revising the planning to leverage existing advantages comprehensively is critically important. He noted that the adjustment process should be grounded in key pillars, including logistics development, services, trade, finance, high-tech and supporting industries, and large-scale agricultural processing.

In the Political Report of the Provincial Party Executive Committee submitted to the 1st Provincial Party Congress for the 2025-2030 term, planning adjustment was identified as one of the eight key tasks of the term. The focus is to revise the provincial plan to ensure consistency with the national socio-economic development strategy and regional development orientation. At the same time, adjustments will be made to construction, urban, and underground space, as well as sectoral plans, to resolve infrastructure bottlenecks, improve land use efficiency, and facilitate investment attraction and resource mobilization.

The adjusted plan will concentrate on four key zones to fully exploit potential and advantages in industry, logistics, trade, services, tourism, agriculture–forestry, and mineral resources: the Southern urban–industrial zone associated with Long Thanh International Airport, Phuoc An Port and the urban centers of Tran Bien, Long Thanh, Nhon Trach; the northern industrial–urban zone linked to Hoa Lu Border Gate Economic Zone, Hoang Dieu Border Gate, and the urban centers of Binh Phuoc, Dong Xoai, Chon Thanh, Binh Long; the western lakeside economy and riverside eco-urban zone associated with Bien Hoa, Tan Trieu, Long Hung and Dai Phuoc; and the Northeastern zone of high-tech agriculture, large-scale modern livestock farming, green and eco-tourism linked to Bu Gia Map, Phuoc Long, Bu Dang, Ta Lai and Nam Cat Tien.

According to Deputy Secretary of the PPC and Head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Organization Commission, Thai Bao, for land to truly become a vital resource for socio-economic development, Dong Nai needs a planning strategy with vision, grounded in practical conditions and implementation capacity. At the same time, state management effectiveness must be strengthened, with discipline tightened in land use, to ensure transparency and public consensus among residents and businesses, thereby transforming potential into a comprehensive and sustainable growth driver.

By Hoang Loc – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho