A view of Hà Nội City. Each city person will own an average of 50sq.m of housing land by 2020, according to the natural resources and environment ministry. — Photo news.zing.vn

HÀ NỘI (VNS) — Việt Nam will have nearly two million hectares of urban area by 2020, the natural resources and environment ministry has said.

Each city resident will also own an average 50sq.m of housing land.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyễn Minh Quang briefed the National Assembly meeting on Sunday about the adjustment of land use planning by 2020 and the plan of land use in the 2016-2020 period.

Quang said urban areas would cover nearly two million hectares by 2020 in the whole country, an increase of about 299,320ha compared with the previous year. Of this, the land for housing will be nearly 200,000ha, accounting for more than 10 per cent of the total urban land. That means each person will own an average of 50sq.m of housing land.

The land for traffic will be more than 779,000ha, an increase of 87,910ha compared with the previous year.

The report also said by 2020, 10,980ha would be used for the construction of 96 golf courses. The area belongs to the land fund of 46,800ha for fitness and sports purposes, an increase of 2,000ha compared with the National Assembly’s target.

Quang said the golf course development planning was carried out in poor-quality land, sandy land or abandoned land.

The golf course development projects will not encroach into cultivated land, protective forests and special-use forests.

The report said the area for agricultural land would be more than 27 million hectares, an increase of more than 306,000ha, compared with the resolutions of the National Assembly. Of this, the land of rice will drop to 3.76 million hectares, a reduction of more than 270,000ha, when compared with 2015.

The report said the land for defence and security purposes should be reduced to 340,000ha and 71,000ha, respectively, by 2020. — VNS