Clean data - Bright trust [Part 2]: A foundation for transparent land governance

In the era of inevitable digital transformation, Vietnam’s agriculture and environment sector is entering a new phase with a strong aspiration to modernize land administration, a core domain with deep and widespread socio-economic impact. The “90-Day Campaign for Enriching and Cleaning Land Data” (September 1 - November 30, 2025) marks a strategic step toward standardizing, purifying, and activating the national land database under the criteria of “accurate - complete - clean - live.” Gone are the days of outdated, inconsistent paper records, land data are now being digitized, made transparent, and updated in real time, signaling a revolution in management thinking.

Toward the 80th anniversary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (November 14, 1945 - November 14, 2025), Vietnam Agriculture & Nature News presents the series “Clean Data - Bright Trust”, portraying the journey from paper-based records to a digital platform, reinforcing public confidence in a fair, transparent, and sustainable land governance system.

The 2024 land law: A legal framework for data transparency

According to Mr. Mai Van Phan, Deputy Director General Department of Land Management (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), if the campaign “Enriching and Cleaning Land Data” represents a digital revolution for the people, then the principles “accurate - complete - clean - live - unified - shared” are its technical and legal cornerstones, the golden standards enshrined in the 2024 Land Law to build a transparent, modern, and citizen-oriented land administration system.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, authorized by the Government to lead the development and operation of the national land database, is implementing a set of technical standards and monitoring mechanisms to enforce these principles, aiming for each land parcel to “live,” to be “unified - shared”, interactive, and updated in real time.

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Clean Data - Bright Trust: [Part 1] Digital transformation for the people

Effective from August 1, 2024, the 2024 Land Law marks a turning point in the management, use, and digitalization of land information. For the first time, the law clearly defines land data as a special national resource, managed in a unified and continuously updated manner, and shared among state agencies, enterprises, and citizens, forming a key component of the national data infrastructure.

The law sets out the directive that: “The national land database must be developed and managed in a unified manner, ensuring accuracy, completeness, cleanliness, vitality, uniformity, and shared use”.

This is the first time these six factors have become mandatory criteria for operating a modern land administration system.

Thus, the “Enriching and Cleaning Land Data” campaign is not merely an administrative or technical activity, it is a concrete action to realize the 2024 Land Law, bringing legal principles into digital practice, where “the law enters the data, data serve the law”.

From accurate to live data: The journey toward transparency

Under the Ministry’s direction, the national land database must satisfy six key requirements: Accurate - Complete - Clean - Live - Unified - Shared.

Accurate means the foundation of rule of law: every piece of information must reflect the actual and legal status. “Accurate” data measure public trust - one incorrect record can cause major consequences for citizens, businesses, or banks in transactions and asset valuation.

Complete ensures that all data fields are covered. A land parcel must not only record its area and location, but also data on planning, financial obligations, attached assets, legal status, and usage changes. When data are “complete,” authorities can operate accurately, businesses can invest easily, and citizens can access and protect their rights effectively.

Clean means eliminating errors, duplication, outdated or conflicting information, and synchronizing paper records, digital files, and on-site conditions. The three data layers: spatial, attribute, and scanned records - must be interlinked and consistent. “Cleaning data” also clarifies land history and addresses bottlenecks in registration, certification, and land transactions.

Live embodies the innovative spirit of the 2024 Land Law. A “live” land parcel means its data are constantly updated, connected, interactive, and ready to serve immediately upon any change, marking the shift from static record-keeping to dynamic digital governance.

Unified ensures that land data are structured and stored in compatible formats, allowing synchronization with other sectoral databases such as taxation, housing, and national statistics, for coherent interpretation and use.

Shared means that land data must be connected and accessible across agencies and sectors, enabling multiple stakeholders to use the information for specific, legitimate purposes.

Why must a land parcel be “live”?

In practice, a “dead” parcel, one with outdated data, often causes delays, inaccuracies, and inconvenience for citizens. When someone carries out land transfer or mortgage procedures, obsolete data can suspend the file and force multiple rounds of verification.

When data are “live,” all land changes are instantly recorded; citizens can check and verify their land information anytime and anywhere, reducing discrepancies. Administrative agencies can handle procedures in real time instead of through hierarchical layers.

For businesses, “live” data open a transparent land market, enabling investors to review planning, value, infrastructure, and legal status with just a few digital steps. This reduces risks, saves costs, and accelerates project decisions.

A “live” parcel is not just a digital entry, it is an active cell in the digital economy, facilitating smooth flows of transactions, credit, and investment.

Citizens and businesses at the center of “live” data

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Clean Data - Bright Trust: [Part 1] Digital transformation for the people

“Live” land data serve not only administrative management but also citizens and businesses directly. Citizens can: verify their land-use rights via the VNeID app or the national public service portal; avoid repeatedly photocopying or notarizing “red books” when filing documents; have their applications processed quickly, accurately, and transparently.

For businesses, “live” data allow rapid, precise access to land market information, improving valuation, investment, mortgaging, and project development. Transparent information also curbs speculation and price manipulation, fostering a healthier investment environment.

For the State, “live” data become a tool for real-time monitoring and decision-making, supporting policy formulation, resource allocation, planning control, and risk prevention in managing public assets.

The six factors “accurate - complete - clean - live - unified - shared” are no longer mere technical criteria, through the “Enriching and Cleaning Land Data” campaign, their “for the people” essence becomes clear: land management tools are no longer rigid instruments but vehicles of service, empowerment, and protection, ensuring transparency, precision, and efficiency for every citizen.

A unified, transparent, and continuously updated land database will form the foundation of a service-oriented administration, where every decision is data-driven, every citizen has equal access to information, and every parcel “lives” in the national digital ecosystem.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the land database is primarily built from cadastral maps, land registration and certification records, cadastral documents, land price data, statistics and inventories, and planning information.

At the central level, the Ministry has completed four key data components: Current land use at regional and national scales; National land-use planning and plans; Land price frameworks; Fundamental regional and national land surveys. However, these datasets continue to be updated and refined to align with the current Land Law.

Nationwide, 34 out of 34 provinces and cities have established cadastral databases for 2,342 out of 3,321 communes, completed databases on land-use statistics and inventories, and developed provincial land-use planning databases.

Going forward, the database construction will follow two parallel directions: First, for areas with existing data, the Ministry is focusing on standardizing, cleaning, and updating parcels built in different formats, ensuring data are “accurate, complete, clean, live” and connected to citizen and related databases. Second, for areas without data, the Ministry will digitize all available maps and records to bring them into unified management.