Assessment of factors affecting land use planning and land use plans in Van Ho District, Son La Province, Vietnam

The study aims to identify the extent to which various factors influence land use planning and land use plans in Van Ho District, Son La Province. The research methods employed include: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), data processing techniques, and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Data analysis revealed the following results for the implementation of land use plans during the 2021–2023 period: (1) Agricultural land utilization reached 106.1%, 100.37%, and 102.1% over the three years, respectively; (2) Non-agricultural land utilization reached 85.35%, 87.15%, and 60.64% compared to the approved targets; (3) Unused land utilization only reached 34.71% in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the planned reclamation and conversion of unused land into agricultural, forestry, and non-agricultural production land (e.g., land for other annual crops, production forests). However, in 2022 and 2023, the utilization of unused land reached 108.77% and 124% of the approved targets, respectively. The study also conducted a survey of 150 respondents, including government officials at various levels and experts in land use planning, land management, finance, and related fields. The results identified five groups of factors influencing land use planning and planning activities in Van Ho District, with the following impact weights: (1) Legal and policy factors (0.426); (2) Economic factors (0.240); (3) Social factors (0.151); (4) Environmental factors (0.106); and (5) Other factors (0.077). Thus, policy and economic factors are of greatest concern, while other factors are considered less significant by experts. Identifying the influencing factors and their respective weights will contribute to proposing solutions that build on the achievements of land use planning and implementation, address current limitations, and enhance the effectiveness of land use planning and the role of state land management.