The role of the land register in the project

Three years ago, the armed conflicted ended between the Colombian government and the rebellion group FARC. The detriment on – mainly – the countryside of Colombia is immense. A good land administration is essential for building a civil state, because peasants without title are in vulnerable position, sensitive to become victim of land grabbing and not in the possibility to invest in their land or equipment, as only a land title gives access to bank credits.

Intended results

It is estimated that up to 60% of the rural population does not have legal proof of ownership over their land, which corresponds to roughly 10 million rural parcels. With our innovative, transparent and participatory Fit-for-Purpose methodology, rural land regularization can be speeded up considerably, fulfilling an important goal in the Colombian peace agreement: securing land rights and rural development.

Envisaged outcomes

• Demonstrate alternative (rapid and effective) methods for land administration in pilot areas
• Formulate a national rollout plan for rapid and effective land administration
• A relevant contribution to improve the effectiveness of the cooperation
• Development of capacity for the maintenance of the cadastre and registry at the municipal level

Results so far

We are doing pilots in various communities in three regions in the country. This has led to data collection and public inspections of several hundreds of parcels. The first 17 land titles were handed out by the Colombian Minister of Agriculture and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in November 2018. Beside from the technical tests, we are working on diplomatic scale to make political impact that could lead to methodology change in the current land administration policy. High level politicians and various Ministries have shown their great interest for the Land In Peace project.

Duration of the project

2017-2020

More info and contact

For more information about the project visit www.landinpeace.com.
If you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

Improving legislation and land information system for land consolidation

The General Department of Land Administration (GDLA) is part of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE). As the responsible agency, GDLA prepares legislation about land and land policies for the country and is responsible for the implementation of the cadastral system including land register, cadastral mapping, cadastral documentation, land tenure certificate issuance, and land record system update. GDLA is the main counterpart in our project regarding our support for renewal of the Land Law and its decrees.

Activities 

Activities focus on:

• Providing advice on integrating land consolidation practice into law and regulations
• Sharing expertise about land consolidation based on experience in the Netherlands
• Reflect and advise on the role of land consolidation in the system of land use planning and land administration (e.g. land administration systems and tools for land consolidation)

Expertise will be shared in a couple of short dedicated missions for training, reviewing legislation and giving examples of land consolidation and the results for agricultural development in specific and rural development in general.

Duration of the project

2019 - 2020

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

Implementation of national land use zoning plan

Bhutan experiences many challenges such as extreme temperatures and snowfall, storms and draught in the highlands but also heavy rain at the foot of the mountains and the southern belt with landslides and floods as a consequence. Because of these challenges and specific topography, available land is scarce for agricultural produce, human settlement, infrastructure and other land related development. A cross-sectoral policy perspective on national land use and management is lacking.

Aim of our support

Our support aims to help the government of Bhutan to enable society to make optimal, sensible and sustainable use of the limited land and water resources in their country. This is facilitated through the establishment of a harmonised national land use zoning plan in Bhutan which leads to a solid basis for establishing land use ordinances and enforcement.

Activities and intended results

A data sharing plan and a zoning plan in a pilot area will be developed by the end of 2020. The support consists of a technical part (data sharing protocol and development of zoning plan) and an institutional part (coordination of geo-data and participatory planning).

Furthermore, a monitoring and evaluation plan is developed to ensure quality, evaluate key reforms of the NLUZ project and safeguard the inter-disciplinary use of the NLUZ processes and to promote self-learning.

Duration of the project

2019 - 2020

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

Optimising work processes and national coverage of land administration

As colleague and partner, Kadaster International together with MDF and VNG assists ANDF with the optimisation of their work processes and the execution of a “fit for purpose” approach for achieving national coverage of the land administration. A huge task because at this moment there are only a few parcels formally registered (60.000 of the estimated 5 million parcels) and there is a lot of political pressure put on ANDF to show results. To speed up the process the Dutch Embassy in Benin supplies funds that enables a consortium of three parties (MDF Training and Consultancy, VNG International and Kadaster International) to execute a four year project for capacity building of ANDF: 'le Projet pour la Modernisation de l’Administration Foncière (PMAF)'. 

In 2017 only a few parcels were formally registered (60.000 of the estimated 5 million parcels) and there is a lot of political pressure put on ANDF to show results.

The challenge in Benin is collecting the land data by using data that is already available from other parties and filling the national land register. Key in our cooperation is that collecting the data should be affordable, quick to collect and the quality of the data should be good enough to fit the purpose.

Intended results

Four outcomes of our support have been defined:

• The national cadastre is available, functional and sustainable in order to contribute effectively to the land security of a growing number of people
• ANDF implements the national land policy, in accordance with the obligations defined in the Land Law (Code Foncier et Domanial)  respecting the conditions of land security and in a financially sustainable manner
• All parties in the mapping, legal and judicial chains are aware of their roles and responsibilities and assume them effectively and correctly in collaboration with other parties in the chain
• Increased opportunities for civil society and other interest groups to advocate for improved legislation, policies and implementation of policies to protect access and land ownership rights for socially and/or economically disadvantaged groups

Duration of the project

2018 - 2022

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

Technical assisance in transition phase

The challenge for the national land agency DINAT is to register a total of 5 million parcels between 2020 and 2025. Kadaster is providing  technical assistance in the transition phase towards the start of the GESTERRA II programme. The support is focussing on the organisation (planning, budgeting and IT) and developing the fit-for-purpose procedures in land registration and related Capacity building (train the trainers). In 2019 and 2020 the support concentrates on the ICT Organisation and Institutional development.

In 2019 two devastating hurricanes hit Mozambique. This has a huge impact on land administration procedures. Innovative land tools are needed to document and restore already existing people-to-land relationships as now effected by the cyclones. The location of the people, their houses and temporary shelters as well as their related supporting livelihood need to be identified. A gender-sensitive and inclusive (women, youth, orphans, elderly and marginalised groups) validation, through the community, will ensure the quality of the collected data. Temporary, qualified, or ‘re-starter’ land certificates will be issued and handed over to ensure the access to reconstruction grants and the reestablishment of livelihood.

Intended results

A sustainable, autonomous National Land Registry, ready to execute the GESTERRA program and being the trusted party for Mozambican land users and land partners.

A sustainable Land Information System with clear procedures in land registration and agreed service level agreements in IT and IT systems.

DINAT staff and service providers are aware of fit for purpose principles and prepared to transfer all related knowledge.

Results so far

In 2018 the fit for purpose procedures were tested in designated pilot areas. The testing focussed on data collection methodologies and related IT (collector) interface applications. Support has been given in developing a strategy in executing the GESTERRA project and engaging the WB support from 2019.

A training needs assessment was done and a first draft of a Training Toolkit was delivered. This Training Toolkit will be perfected and finished in 2020.

Specific attention was given on IT and IT applications. The interface with the data collection application is now operational.

Duration of the project

1 January 2018 – 31 December 2020

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

Sharing knowledge and experiences

More than 20 regional workshops were organized in which each of the participating organisations shared their experiences and knowledge on the selected theme of the workshop. Kadaster facilitated round table discussions and the definition of quick wins and actions for each organisation. The workshops, with over 240 participants, have strengthened the regional network, creating better understandings of the addressed topics.

North Macedonia

The cooperation between the Agency for Real Estate Cadastre (AREC) of North Macedonia and Kadaster focused on three topics: implementation of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Strategy; development of the Address Registry; and updating of the Topographic Maps.

Serbia

The cooperation between the Republic Geodetic Authority (RGA) of Serbia and Kadaster focused on drafting the NSDI strategy and legislation; support for mass property valuation; strengthening institutional and organisational capacity on Open Data, Key Registers; and becoming a more service oriented organisation.

Bosnia–Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania

For Bosnia–Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania emphasis was placed understanding the organisational and technological state-of-play. This was achieved through organising regional workshops, focussing on themes related to spatial data.

Goals for future cooperation

After 27 months, we have a good understanding of the status of all 8 agencies, their needs and their wishes for future cooperation with the Netherlands. The aim is to continue the cooperation and further strengthen professional access to information about land at both national and regional level. In 2020 the cooperation will continue in a new project: SPATIAL II.

Duration of the project

1 january 2017 - 31 march 2019

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

The project is part of the ‘Twinning programme’ of the EU, aimed at facilitating institutional cooperation between Public Administrations of EU Member States and beneficiary or partner countries.

Spain and the Netherlands both have solid cadastral systems and experience in the implementation of INSPIRE data and services. They also have experience in collaboration in Twinning projects. We are eager to combine our expertise and cooperate with Belarus for the coming two years.

Sharing data following the INSPIRE Directive

The support of the Dutch experts is mainly focusing on increasing the capacity for sharing spatial data following interoperability principles of INSPIRE in Belarus. The purpose of this component is to develop a better understanding of how best to share spatial data between the various stakeholders in Belarus. Key to this understanding are the interoperability principles of the INSPIRE Directive and how INSPIRE is implemented in the various Member States of the EU. During workshops the international team helped them to define the requirements for the creation of a metadata portal. Besides workshops in Belarus, also a study visit to the Netherlands took place. This helped to get a first-hand view of the best practices in INSPIRE implementation within the EU.

Methodology document

In addition to that we will help NCA to apply the newly acquired knowledge from experiences and lessons learned from EU Member States to conduct an assessment of the current level of harmonisation of the data of NCA and other stakeholders. Together we will analyse how the data model can integrate all the different information and how to design the most effective data flows in order to create and maintain an integrated spatial data information system. Also a methodology document will be prepared on the creation and maintenance of standard Metadata for spatial data of the NCA. This will enable and facilitate efficient and effective discovery and use of the data available within the NCA through Metadata. In addition to that we will jointly review and assess the existing quality control system for data creation, elaboration and maintenance, in order to draft a methodology for a new quality check of data capture at the stage of registration, data update and data maintenance.

Efficient and effective spatial data management 

Both Spain and the Netherlands have consolidated cadastral systems and experience in the implementation of INSPIRE data and services. We also have proven experience in collaboration and twinning projects. We are eager to combine their expertise cooperate with Belarus on enlarging the capacity of NCA in efficient and effective spatial data management in line with interoperability and harmonisation principles. 

Duration of the project

1 year - 2019.

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

Maintenance of large quantity of legal data

From 2008 until 2013 Kadaster carried out a Land Registration Reform Project, supporting the Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority (RLMUA) in professionalising land administration processes. Focussing on the maintenance of the large quantity of legal data (more than 10 million objects), a first version of the Land Administration Information System (LAIS) was introduced in the Kigali City District Land Bureaus in 2011. Originally built to support the initial collection of land administration data, from 2011 up to 2018 LAIS has undergone several upgrades. The LAIS version 4.0 as now launched is ready to support the updating and maintenance of legal as well as spatial data.

Guiding the process

From November 2018 Kadaster is guiding RLMUA in this process, working in close cooperation with Dutch and local partners including ESRI Rwanda. RLMU staff has been trained in taking over the maintenance of the system and allocating needed ESRI support. This is needed to keep the system as well as RLMUA IT facilities sustainable.   

Project milestones

Important milestones in this project are:

• The assessment phase
• Data cleaning and migration
• LAIS general functions
• Launching LAIS 4.0
• Remaining system issues

LAIS 4.0 has been launched in November 2019. Support now is focussing on the remaining system issues and starting the structural system maintenance.

Duration of the project

1 November 2018 – 1 August 2020.

More info and contact

If you want more information about the project or if you want to contact us, please fill in the contact form.

Professionals from different countries participate in a dedicated 4-days programme in which national and international aspects of Kadaster will be shared. A great opportunity to exchange information with our experts and those from other international organisations. 

The three opportunities in 2020 to join a study visit: 

• March 23 – 26 (4 days)
• May 15 - 20 (4 days, following on FIG2020 in Amsterdam)
• October 26 – 29 (4 days)

The study visits take place in the offices of Kadaster in Amsterdam and Apeldoorn. The maximum number of participants is 16; the main language is English. 

Are you interested?

Read more information and apply.                                                                                          

Smart use of space

Do you ever consider the term 'space'? Space is everywhere, but it isn't infinite. This means we must use our space wisely. The way it's organised and the agreements involved. Everything must be in their rightful place. And the rights regarding every square centimetre are clear. That is our everyday role. We are involved in everything on and beneath the ground and register an infinite amount of geo-data regarding real estate and space.

 

Watch our story

Do you want to know more about us? Watch the video 

Alternative land registration approach

An alternative land registration approach was investigated during the PaLaR project. PaLaR, meaning Participatory Land Registration, was tested in two pilot areas on Java and Sumatra. The assumption was that three out of four main steps in the land registration chain could be executed by NGO’s and private sector instead of the Local Land Office themselves: mobilisation of the local communities, collecting documentation (evidence) and collecting data of the boundaries. Doing so, the Local Land Offices only need to focus on the fourth step: quality control of the data and certification of the plot. This saves them a lot of time. Using alternative techniques to capture administrative and spatial data makes the registration process more affordable.

Participatory Land Registration

To verify whether PaLaR can be a solution to accelerate land registration, University of Gadjah Mada and Kadaster compared the method with the standard land registration methodology in Indonesia. The pilot demonstrated that PaLaR is compliant with the land registration system in Indonesia, suits local circumstances and delivers the completeness and legal data quality well. This was the first time that officers of ATR/BPN (Local Land Offices of the National Agrarian Agency) successfully joined forces with NGOs and the private sector in their work to register individual land parcels. The PaLaR pilot indicated a time efficiency that is useful to accelerate land parcel registration and the pilot provided a good showcase for cheaper land registration in rural areas in Indonesia. 

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition December 2019.
You may also receive the newsletter Abroad quarterly by e-mail. For this, please fill in the form.

Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is an emerging option. In the land administration domain, UAVs have already been piloted and demonstrated in a range of OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) member countries, as well as countries across eastern and southern Africa. 

The tool has particular strength in areas with heavily undulating terrain, dynamic geological contexts (e.g. disaster prone), where high-resolution and up-to-date data are needed.

Multi-stakeholder dialogue and workshop series

Nepal has a quickly emerging UAV sector with applications in the health domain already evident. A multi-stakeholder dialogue and workshop series conducted by Kadaster revealed Nepal is well placed in terms of laws, capacity, and collaboration for supporting the country-wide application of UAVs in the land sector.

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition December 2019.
You may also receive the newsletter Abroad quarterly by e-mail. For this, please fill in the form.

These areas are often under pressure from the rising global demand for natural resources. As a result: conflict and debate rise about land rights. 

Showcase for the multitude of diffuse and disputed boundaries

Together with the Colombian Government, Kadaster applied Fit-for-Purpose (FFP) land administration to the disputed area between the indigenous reserve Santa Teresita del Tuparro  and its neighbouring colonist farms. After socialisation meetings with the people involved, the land users started collecting field data. The collected field data showed considerable overlapping land claims. Nevertheless, the discussion during the public inspection about the occurrence of those different mapping realities was harmonious. This pilot may serve as a showcase for the multitude of diffuse and disputed boundaries between indigenous reserves and colonist farm land in Colombia and elsewhere.

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition December 2019.
You may also receive the newsletter Abroad quarterly by e-mail. For this, please fill in the form.

The government faces a major challenge: capturing 5 million plots of land with corresponding user rights in 5 years. A mega job of registering all those landholders has two main components:  the registering itself and the organising of the information.

Fit-For-Purpose approach

The land registry organisation of Mozambique, DINAT ( Direcção Nacional de Terras), wants to catch up in a targeted, fast and affordable way. To cope with the enormous amount of plots, many people must be trained. For that, Kadaster has designed a Fit-For-Purpose approach, involving local and international partners. This two-year project (2019-2020) aims at capacity building regarding three areas: registering (train the trainers), data management and institutional building. 

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition December 2019. 
You may also receive the newsletter Abroad quarterly by e-mail. For this, please fill in the form.

Land administration systems (LAS) are typically built to operate in relatively stable environments. The aim is to record people-to-land relationships as they change – generally slowly –  over time. This might happen through a market transaction, inheritance, or some other means. Meanwhile, Disaster Risk Management (DRM) typically assumes a dynamic, if not chaotic, environment. After a disaster occurs, the aim is to quickly assess and triage damage, injury and loss of life, and respond with medicine, food, water, housing and basic infrastructure.

Conflicting information

Of course, most disasters happen on land: this is where the people live. So what happens when DRM meets LAS? Unfortunately, the answer is often very little, or even worse, conflicting information, advice and responses. For example, following flood or earthquake disasters, DRM approaches often seek to move or resettle individuals and communities. However, the LAS processes needed to support these moves, even for temporary reasons, can often take many weeks, months, or even years to complete. The result is informal settlement formation, or rebuilding on disaster-affected land and ultimately poverty for those left homeless and landless.

Building a bridge between LAS and DRM

This is where the PhD work of Senior Geodetic Advisor, Eva-Maria Unger seeks to make an impact. She spent the last 5 years working to build a bridge between LAS and DRM. New conceptual thinking has established a link between the key LAS constructs of land, people, and rights - to the core concepts in DRM of hazard, vulnerability and exposure.

Combined LA-DRM data model

This theoretical linkage has been converted into a practical data model by embedding new attributes into the ISO 19152 LADM standard. What this means is that a combined LA-DRM data model now exists to support data capture, management and response following a disaster. A whole workflow to support usage of the data model has also been created. The collected data can be used to ensure DRM responses better take into account people-to-land relations. Even better, the DRM response can actually be used to enhance land tenure security, that may have been limited even before the disaster occurred.

Trial in Nepal

The data model has been packaged up into a software tool and was trialled in Nepal, where previously two major earthquakes impacted on livelihoods around Kathmandu and remote areas in 2015. The results of the data recording and mapping initiative were able to show that government LAS requirements were impeding households from accessing grants for compensation and rebuilding. These findings have been used to further support changes to Nepal’s national land policies in 2019.

Impact on global development

The results from the study have implications for LA and DRM policy development globally. The two domains are closely related, but, have not adequately leveraged off the knowledge and tools available in each. Unger’s work is now assisting how to transfer the policy lessons both global-to-local levels, and also between the different domains, via the UN-GGIM’s IGIF and Framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA).

More information

Read the full thesis of Eva-Maria Unger on the website Library ITC University of Twente.

Further recommendations for reading

• 'Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction' on the UNDRR website
• UN-FFIM Framework for Effective Land Administration 'Application of geospatial information related to land administration and management' (pdf) on the UN-GGIM website
• 'FIG 38: The Contribution of the Surveying Profession to Disaster Risk Management' on the FIG website
• 'FIG 65: The Surveyor’s Role in Monitoring, Mitigating, and Adapting to Climate Change' on the FIG website
• 'FIG 68: The FIG Christchurch Declaration: Responding to Climate Change and Tenure Insecurity in Small Island Developing States' on the FIG website 
• 'Land Tenure and Climate Vulnerability' on the GLTN website
• 'Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration – A Country Level Implementation Strategy for Nepal' om the GLTN website

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition September 2019. Read the complete Abroad.
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Recovery from disaster is challenging due to the geography and economic situation. Also not all land rights are recognized and recorded. This hampers the government to prepare and mitigate to disasters pro-actively and delays post-disaster recovery. The devastating earthquake in 2015 made this very clear. Enhance land tenure security was demanded to speed up the recovery from disaster.

Pilots applying Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration

The land professionals in Nepal have embraced the challenges and are making efforts to implement Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration (FFP LA) Strategy to document all people-to-land relationships. In several areas pilots are conducted, applying FFP LA approaches. The pilots focus on recordation of customary and informal land rights and disaster risk management. The results of the pilots will help to define the roadmap for scaling up of tenure security.

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition September 2019. Read the complete Abroad.
You may also receive the newsletter Abroad quarterly by e-mail. For this, please fill in the form.

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) was established by resolution in July 2011. For the first time it provides a nexus for globally policy development and advocacy for the creation, availability and application of geospatial information.  Importantly, UN-GGIM is dealing directly with both LA and DRM. The two areas are increasingly being linked at policy, organisational and even technical levels.

FELA and SFGISD

Two frameworks are under development:

• The Framework for Effective Land Administration (FELA)
• The Strategic Framework for Geospatial Information Services for Disasters (SFGISD)

SFGISD builds from the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), whilst FELA aggregates globally accepted land administration and management concepts from the FIG, FAO, UN-Habitat and World Bank – incorporating the concepts FFPLA and LADM.

Potential improvement collaboration LA and DRM

Both frameworks provide strategic insights on issues relating to governance, accountability, law and policy making, financing, partnerships, data needs and innovation, standards, awareness and capacity and education. Both frameworks are currently undergoing review and endorsement procedures throughout 2019 and 2020. Combined, they have the potential to improve collaboration and harmonization between LA and DRM at all levels and supporting the achievement of the SDGs.

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition September 2019. Read the complete Abroad.
You may also receive the newsletter Abroad quarterly by e-mail. For this, please fill in the form.
 

If tropical deforestation were a country, it would be the third-biggest emitter globally. Lower than the U.S. but higher than the EU. Much tropical deforestation results from forest fires: burning forests to make space for agriculture. Carbon stored in trees and soils goes up in smoke.

Illegal deforestation and poor land administration

Brazil is the country that loses most tropical primary rainforest. A structural problem in the Brazilian Amazon is poor land administration. Illegal deforestation goes hand-in-hand with fraudulent land titles and land speculation.

Break the crime cycle

Improved land administration can break the crime cycle. Forests managed by local (indigenous) people generally harbor more carbon and biodiversity than unprotected areas. A criminological pilot showed that when people have a stake in forest preservation, they actively protect rainforest. Improved land administration can thus become a strategy to halting tropical deforestation and global climate change.

Abroad

This article was published in Abroad edition September 2019. Read the complete Abroad.
You may also receive the newsletter Abroad quarterly by e-mail. For this, please fill in the form.

Kadaster has launched the game Move a Lot. Move a Lot is a puzzle game in which you re-parcel land within a certain time, solving spatial problems.

The central question of Move a Lot is: How do we best manage the little space we have in the Netherlands? While playing through the game you will encounter a wide range of topics such as: agriculture, infrastructure, real estate, water, energy and nature.

The strength of area development

The game is part of our program ‘The strength of area development’. This year we look at the fact that we have been playing a role in improving land use for a 100 years. We use this as an opportunity to engage our partners in talks about the future of land development. We also want to show how the Netherlands is developing spatially and raise awareness.

Curious?

Take a look at our trailer

You can download Move a Lot in the Apple app store and Google Play store.

Imagine, you are a Nepalese farmer who wants to start an apple orchard on the land that belonged to your grandfather. Enthusiastically, you start planting the first few trees. You go to the bank to apply for a loan. But then they tell you that you need a certificate to proof you own the land. Even though your parents and grandparents have always worked this land, it turns out the land registry does not have this certificate.

Obtaining a certificate turns out to be more difficult than you expected, you become desperate and your family’s future becomes more uncertain every day. Why is the government making this so hard? It must be possible to simplify all this?

For 70% of the world’s population, a story like this is reality. These people are being chased from the land they have been living on for generations and generations. They are victims of conflicts over land, sometimes even resulting in death. A good land administration is the basis for a solid society. Legal certainty – knowing what belongs to whom – is of great importance. But often, the procedures to achieve this are complicated and not transparent. 

Together with the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kadaster is working on methods and technologies to make this process easier, more affordable and faster. Our ambition is land rights for all within one generation.

This animation film shows why things must change (length of film: 5 minutes).