Strong technical building blocks

All in all, Tunisia has strong building blocks to develop a digital land consolidation system. For example, a national geodetic reference system and permanent GNSS network. In Nefza, we also documented the significant benefits of land consolidation. Here 960 fragmented parcels were reorganised into 245 consolidated lots. This improved accessibility of the lots, irrigation planning and agricultural productivity.

Analogue challenges

Yet our assessment also highlighted systemic challenges, such as delays in registration and insufficient rural road infrastructure. These issues can undermine consolidation outcomes for decades. We also found that many steps still rely on paper-based procedures, manual data transfer and that there is no provision for digital maps for public display of planned landscape changes. These bottlenecks affect transparency, efficiency and long-term sustainability.

Recommendations and next steps

Aligned with the United Nation’s Integrated Geospatial Information Framework and industry-recognised enterprise architecture models, we developed a consolidated set of recommendations:

• modernising INTEGREM software
• establishing national geodata standards
• redesigning inter‑agency workflows
• strengthening governance and financing models

The next phase of the project will focus on finalising the assessment report and preparing the Tunisian Land Consolidation Agency’s (Agence Foncière d’Agriculture) study visit to the Netherlands. This way we support Tunisia in implementing a digitally transformed, interoperable and farmer‑centred land consolidation system.

More information

• For the Access to Land and Credit project we are partnering with:
  • The Tunisian Agence Foncière d’Agriculture
  • Office de la Topographie et du Cadastre
  • International Development Law Organization
• Read more about this project on our project page Tunisia: Inclusive land consolidation to improve access to credit.

The 3 components

1. Combining governance: Croatian experts support the implementation of the United Nations Framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA). They help strengthening Jordan’s land administration framework and align it with international standards and best practices. 
2. Information modelling: Experts from Kadaster in the Netherlands lead the development of a Jordanian Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) Country Profile. This profile adapts the international LADM-standard to Jordan’s needs. It provides a common structure for organising land information and reflects national laws, institutional responsibilities, business processes and data requirements. It also creates greater interoperability and innovation. 
3. Technology: Spanish partners support the further development of the Land Information System. They bring their expertise in digitalisation, geospatial information management and modern land administration technologies. Their work helps DLS digitise its service and improve how institutions manage and share information. 

Collaborating to strengthen land administration

The 18-month project is funded by the European Union as part of the Twinning Project. This promotes innovation and international collaboration. Through knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer cooperation, it strengthens the land administration framework, support digital transformation and align practices with international standards. Croatia’s State Geodetic Administration leads the project in close cooperation with Jordan’s Department of Lands and Survey (DLS).

Creating lasting benefits and building trust

The project contributes to Jordan’s goal for digital transformation, good governance and sustainable development. It strengthens institutional capacity, improving data interoperability and supporting the modernisation of land administration services. The partnership creates lasting benefits for citizens, businesses and public institutions. Most importantly, it builds trust in data, organisations and in the public services that support economic and social development.

A long-standing partnership

Kadaster and Jordan’s Department of Lands and Survey have worked together since 2015. Their partnership focused on knowledge exchange, institutional development and innovation in land administration.

More information

Read more about our partnership with Jordan on the page Jordan: Realizing future-proof land administration.

Governance experience and fresh energy

Cora Smelik, member of the executive board: “I am very much looking forward to working with Monique. She brings a wealth of governance experience, sharp insight, and fresh energy. Her expertise will be of great value to Kadaster. I am confident that we will complement each other well and together continue building a Kadaster that is reliable, agile and meaningful to society.”

Proven track record in transformation

Siebe Riedstra, chair of the supervisory board: “With Monique, we are welcoming a highly experienced executive. She has a proven track record in leading large-scale digital and organisational transformation programmes. Her vision, leadership, and ability to drive change align perfectly with Kadaster’s ambitions for the years ahead. Together with Cora, they will form a strong leadership team.”

Agile and future-ready

Monique Sueters: “I am honoured to take on the role of chair of the executive board at Kadaster. Kadaster fulfils a unique and indispensable role in our society and economy. I look forward to working together with our employees, customers, and partners to further strengthen an agile and future-ready Kadaster, creating lasting societal value through reliable data and high-quality services.”

Working towards European standards

For the Republic of North Macedonia, the implementation of EU-compliant standards for the creation and continuous updating of national base maps is a strategic priority. The mission also focused on alignment with EU standards and best practices from our own experience.

Modern, efficient and user-friendly

Throughout the mission, experts and national stakeholders discussed both short- and long-term objectives for modern digital topographic mapping. Key themes included:

• production workflows
• data quality
• update cycles
• the future role of digital base maps in supporting public administration, spatial planning, and wider geospatial services

The event encouraged open discussion and knowledge sharing among all participants. Together, we identified clear and practical first steps towards a more modern, efficient, and user-friendly map production process in North Macedonia.

Acknowledgements

Kadaster International’s representatives would like to acknowledge the support of the European Commission Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood, TAIEX & Twinning, AREC and the dedicated map production team for their excellent cooperation, expertise, and positive engagement throughout the mission.

More information

• For more information on TAIEX, please visit TAIEX - Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood - European Commission. 

A viable business model

This expansion significantly increases the scope of work, requiring substantial additional staffing, operational resources, and financial capacity. This raises an immediate and essential question: how will these costs be sustainably financed, and what business model will support this new mandate?

Fee-based government services

Through several missions, we worked with ANDF to develop this business model. It enables the organisation to secure the financial means needed to maintain its digital land administration system. This helps ensure the delivery of modern digital services to the public. Drawing on our experience as a fee-based government service provider, we supported the design of a fee structure for registering transactions. These include services such as property transfers and parcel subdivisions.

Reducing the price of property transfers

Together we examined all relevant financial flows. For instance, all applicable transfer taxes. And also, fees charged by stakeholders across the service chain, such as notaries and private surveyors. Although further refinement is still required, estimates indicate that a property transfer could be registered for the equivalent of approximately € 40, excluding tax. This is significantly lower than the several hundred euros historically charged. Yet it is still a meaningful amount in a country where the minimum monthly wage is roughly the equivalent of € 80.

More information

For more information on our cooperation with ANDF, please visit the page Benin: Boosting the national land administration.

From theory to practice

The programme combined theory with hands-on learning. Key topics included:

• Fit-for-Purpose land administration
• digitalisation
• remote sensing
• climate resilience

On the second day, the focus shifted to technology. During the sessions, it was highlighted how geodesy, data systems and drone technology can improve land governance.

Challenges and opportunities

India’s land administration systems are developing quickly. At the same time, challenges remain. These include integrating new technologies with existing systems, ensuring data quality and accessibility, and aligning institutional responsibilities. Despite these challenges, there is clear progress. Ongoing initiatives and policy developments show strong momentum towards modernisation.

Looking ahead

The training ended with a wide range of ideas for potential follow-up initiatives. Participants are motivated to apply what they learned in their own organisation. The programme shows that collaboration and innovation can make a real difference. Together, they create new opportunities to strengthen land governance in India.

More information

• This programme was organised by SLAS in partnership with Landstack and FLAME University.
• Read more about SLAS on the page School for Land Administration Studies.

Creating geospatial autonomy for Indigenous communities

Together with the local community organisation Cabildo Arhuaco del Magdalena y la Guajira, we developed a GIS for the Arhuaco community living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. This GIS allows them to manage their own land data. It also gives them a stronger technical and legal position in conversations with various state institutions.

Ancestral knowledge and technology go hand in hand

In the Sierra, ancestral knowledge and technology reinforce each other. Combining them is key to inclusive land governance. Diana Balaguera, land team leader for Cabildo Arhuaco, explains: "The deepest lesson is that technology does not have to be at odds with spirituality or tradition. Instead of fragmenting, they unite and strengthen each other."

Academia as foundation for further development

To bridge the gap between local knowledge from Indigenous communities and technical information, we worked together with leading universities. Professor Javier Fuentes of the Universidad Distrital advocates for an inclusive system that maps more than just deeds: "Why should a cadastre only map what is in a deed when I can also map the territory of a jaguar or an Andean bear?" Javier Morales of the University of Twente focused on making the technology more accessible so Indigenous communities can easily turn their local knowledge into reliable data.

From local success to state policy

This collaboration between Kadaster, universities, and ethnic authorities has allowed Indigenous communities to develop the technical capacity to map and protect their land. However, Diana Balaguera notes that the process is still in its infancy. The great challenge remains to turn local successes into scalable intercultural state policy. Nevertheless, digitizing their ancestral memory has allowed Indigenous communities to move from managing scattered paper records to leading a geospatial autonomy that allows them to speak on equal footing with the Colombian State.

More information

• For the Booster project we partnered with:
  • Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
  • The ITC Faculty of the University of Twente
• Read more about the Tierra en Paz project on our project page Colombia: Land at peace.
• Read more about the LAND-at-scale project on our project page Colombia: Land at scale.

Exploring durable solutions for IDPs

In this project we explored how land information and land administration can better support the human rights of IDPs and reduce land‑related conflicts. We also researched how this can contribute to durable solutions for IDPs. Meetings, such as a multi‑stakeholder roundtable and a dedicated workshop, and a field visit gave us a good view of the current land tenure context in Mexico.

Challenges ahead

There are certainly challenges to be reckoned with. Mexico’s land information systems cover the entire country. Yet, the data is often fragmented, partially outdated and uneven in quality. This is particularly true for social land, meaning agricultural land that is communicably owned by (indigenous) community members. Limited data sharing mechanisms and overlapping mandates further complicate the picture.

Committing to improvement

Yet there are also many promising signs. The project team witnessed a strong commitment among stakeholders to build durable solutions for IDPs. They are motivated to improve their cooperation and build on existing initiatives, such as Mexico’s ongoing modernisation programme. Our project showed that, despite the complexity of Mexico’s land administration system, there is opportunity to improve the protection of housing, land and property rights for IDPs in Mexico.

More information

• For this project we partnered with
  • Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
  • UNHCR Mexico
  • CADH Oaxaca
• Read more about our other projects on the page Our projects.

Structural challenges

Several structural barriers remain. Participatory methods are not widely adopted within public agencies. Peasants, women, youth and ethnic communities are not always equally involved. Coordination between key land institutions such as ANT, IGAC and SNR is weak, which makes data integration difficult. In addition, the legal framework—such as Law 160 of 1994 and Decree Law 902 of 2017—limits flexibility in land formalization.

Ample opportunities

At the same time, implementation experiences have generated important lessons. Meaningful community participation in data collection and validation strengthens trust, legitimacy and local ownership. Differentiated approaches are essential to ensure inclusive engagement. And innovative methodologies such as FFPLA can enhance efficiency without compromising participatory standards. 

4 areas for strategic improvement

Building on these findings, the document outlines opportunities focused on 4 priority areas:

• Institutionalizing community participation through national guidelines and quality assurance protocols.
• Strengthening institutional and territorial capacities to ensure sustainable implementation.
• Advancing toward a sustainable multipurpose cadaster model that includes maintenance mechanisms, clear role distribution and community-based reporting systems.
• And developing autonomous land administration systems for collective territories that respect principles of self-governance, interculturality and long-term sustainability.

Together, these strategic lines position participatory land governance not as a pilot experience, but as a scalable and coherent component of Colombia’s broader land administration policy framework.

Growing openness to explore new methodologies

Some recommendations addressed to the Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi (IGAC) were incorporated into Colombia’s National Development Plan and through Law 2294 of 2023. This strengthened IGAC’s role as cadastral authority. The law has several positive effects:

• It reinforces the mandatory use of official data in formalization and cadastral processes (Art. 37).
• It formally recognizes IGAC’s authority to request and consolidate information within the national cadastral information system (SINIC) (Art. 43).
• It strengthens interoperability in multipurpose cadastre processes, including in ethnic territories (Art. 45). 
• It designates the National Land Agency (ANT) as a cadastral manager under IGAC’s guidelines (Art. 50).
• And it establishes the Land Administration System (SAT) (Art. 53), integrating cadastre, land registry and territorial planning with the participation of ethnic and rural communities. 

These developments reflect a growing openness within public institutions to explore new methodologies and strengthen collaboration.

A training programme for community surveyors

At the same time, Kadaster cooperated with Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas to design a training programme for community surveyors. The course equips members of Gobierno Mayor, belonging to different Indigenous communities, with essential tools, like the management of Field Maps app. In this way they can document and measure their own territories as a basis for strengthening land governance. This process was supported by technological expertise from our partner Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente. He contributed a session focused on the use of spatial data technologies and the opportunities and challenges of community-led data collection.

Systemic change in land administration

Together, these experiences demonstrate that systemic change in land administration requires coordinated action among public institutions, communities, academia and international development partners.

More information

• Read more about the LAND at scale project on our project page Colombia: Land at scale. 
• Read more about our Land in peace project on our project page Colombia: Land in peace.  
   

Almost 500,000 plots registered

The e-FB system visualizes property information and plot boundaries digitally. This speeds up processes and makes them more transparent. For the first time, Benin has a uniform, up-to-date map linked to legal data. So far Benin has registered the presumed ownership of almost 500,000 plots in 12 municipalities. This was done with special attention to and active input from vulnerable groups such as women, youth and small farmers.

A steppingstone to formal land titles

Registration of presumed ownership is an important step toward obtaining formal land titles (Titre Foncier), which offer the highest level of legal security. Once registered, the presumed owner receives a Certificat d'Enregistrement au Cadastre (CEC). Since April of this year, legislation allows this certificate to be transferred to another presumed owner. Municipalities are responsible for keeping track of these transactions. Local teams have been trained to enable this.

Moving forward with financial support

Besides financial support from the Dutch Embassy, the World Bank is also investing substantially in the development of land administration in Benin. This will enable Benin to take big steps towards a cadaster on a national level.

More information

• For more information, please visit our Benin project page.
• The Beninese television news recently aired an item on the certificate system. You can watch the episode in French on YouTube. 

Twinning projects

The mission is part of the EU Twinning projects. These are designed to foster institutional cooperation between public administrations in EU Member States and partner countries. Through peer to peer exchange, experts share practical knowledge and proven approaches to support the development and modernization of public institutions. 

Building on legacy

Jordan has a long tradition in land administration, dating back to 1927. Rather than replacing existing systems, the Twinning project focuses on building upon this legacy. Guided by the United Nations’ Framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA), the project aims to address modern challenges such as digitalisation, interoperability and sustainability.

Cooperation between Jordan, Spain, Croatia and the Netherlands

For this first mission, experts from the Netherlands, Spain and Croatia worked closely with their Jordanian counterparts to assess the current land administration system. We divided responsibilities according to each partner’s area of expertise. This ensured a coordinated and complementary approach. 

Future-oriented partnership

Kadaster International’s contribution focuses on supporting the development of an LADM country profile and a prototype to make land administration more efficient and user friendly. With a history of positive cooperation between Kadaster and DLS, this project represents a strong step forward in a trusted and future oriented partnership.

More information

• Read more about our collaboration with the DLS in Jordan on our project page Jordan: realizing future-proof land administration.
• This project is in partnership with: 
  • RVO (The Netherlands Enterprise Agency)
  • The Spanish General Directorate for Cadastre 
  • The Spanish Ministry of Finance, supported by Foundation for Internationalization of Public Administration
  • The Spanish National Centre for Geographic Information 
  • Spanish Notary
  • Spanish Property Registry
  • State Geodetic Administration in Croatia, supported by Central Finance and Contracting Agency

5 years of effort in 2 days

We also looked at emerging technical opportunities. Since 2011, Kadaster has transformed its topographic map production, using modern automatic generalisation techniques. As senior adviser Magdalena Grus put it: “What if 1 click could turn 5 years of effort into 2 days? Let’s aim for that.” Furthermore, we introduced LEAN methodology, open data policies and applications of these new data. 

Key takeaways

After 3 intensive days, our colleagues from Cyprus had gained knowledge of: 

• the main steps involved in automated generalisation, including the importance of input data (topology and data cleansing), pre-processing, quality and purpose of output data.
• multi-resolution data representation techniques. For instance scale-specific symbolisation and geometry transformation.
• the key components of quality assurance processes prior to generalisation. Such as completeness, positional accuracy, attribute consistency and topological correctness.
• practical examples of generalisation workflows and implementations.
• translating Kadaster's approach to its own organisational context by contributing to a roadmap for implementing generalisation at DLS.

More information

• Are you interested in a course on modern topographic mapping? Please contact us for more information via our contact form.
• Our partner in this project was the Department of Lands and Surveys in Cyprus. 
   

Extensive data collection campaign

Following the training, we gave 5 sets of field work equipment to MATHU. MATHU will lead the pilot process with our technical support. Over the coming months, 5 teams will conduct an extensive data collection campaign in the 7th district of N’Djamena and in the rural neighbourhoods of Linia.

Scaling up land recordation efforts

This new phase follows the successful completion of the jointly co-created fit for purpose land recordation methodology. This now forms the foundation for the upcoming pilot activities. The assessment of the piloting phase will provide a profound basis for scaling up land recordation efforts in a more transparent, participatory, and inclusive manner. It will also support the ongoing work surrounding the development of the new land policy.

More information

• The project “Improving Local Land Governance in Chad” is funded by RVO as part of their Land-at-Scale programme. It is implemented by a consortium consisting of Oxfam, Kadaster, and FAO, in collaboration with MATHU.
• Read more about our projects in Chad on the page Chad: improving land registration. 
   

Strengthening land governance

The workshop was facilitated by Kadaster, in partnership with the Instituto Governança de Terras (IGT) and support from FUNAI, the National Indigenous People's Foundation. This is an important step towards strengthening land governance and protecting indigenous territories in the Baixo Tapajós region.

Taking ownership of the process

The workshop was very well received by both the traditional leadership and the youth, who are committed to being ‘guardians of the forest’. The workshop’s interactive approach helped build trust and allowed participants to take ownership of the process. The team emphasized, however, that data collection is only the beginning. Continued training and data integration will be essential to achieve long-term impact.

Combining technology with local knowledge

The workshop was funded by the Dutch Embassy in Brazil. It serves as a proof-of-concept for combining technology and local knowledge to safeguard indigenous territories. Its success could influence broader land governance and climate resilience strategies in the Amazon region in alignment with the global goals of COP30 in Belém.

More information

Read more about our projects in Brazil on the Brazil project page.

Presentations on key topics

3 of our colleagues went to Brazil to attend the conference. They gave presentations on key topics: 

• Rohan Bennett, chair of the FIG commission on land cadastre and management, opened the conference. He also co-presented the talk Global snapshot cadastre 2025. This talk offered insights into global cadastral trends.
• Paula Dijkstra shared her experiences with projects in Latin America in her talk From standards to solutions.  She highlighted Kadaster’s role in supporting sustainable land administration in the region.
• Claudia Lindner discussed the role of digital transformation for integrated land management, with a focus on Brazil and Mexico. And she chaired a roundtable on conceptual frameworks for climate resilience and sustainable development.

A great opportunity for networking

The event brought together over 150 participants from more than 20 countries. A great opportunity for networking. We explored opportunities to collaborate on several topics, such as:

• fit-for-purpose land administration
• interoperability
• data integration
• capacity-building initiatives

We are committed to working with our partners towards inclusive and resilient land governance.

Dialogue and innovation

LADM-based solutions are gaining in popularity in Brazil, and this event reflected Brazil’s growing commitment to addressing rural land issues. The high-quality organisation, multilingual interpretation and cultural elements created an inspiring atmosphere for dialogue and innovation.

More information

• The conference proceedings, including all presentations, can be found on the page of the FIG Joint Land Administration Conference.
• Learn more about FIG in general at Fig.net.