2. ContentsOverview......................................................................................................................................3
Need for Global Cadastre ..............................................................................................................3
Organizations Currently in this Space.............................................................................................5
Donors/Sponsors.......................................................................................................................5
Implementation Partners...........................................................................................................8
Technology Providers .............................................................................................................. 10
Disclaimer............................................................................................................................... 11
Existing Competencies................................................................................................................. 11
Loveland's Position ..................................................................................................................... 12
Loveland's Approach ................................................................................................................... 12
Things to Consider Collecting Data On / Mapping ..................................................................... 13
The Open-Source World Map Portal............................................................................................. 13
3. Overview
This report aims to do the following:
Examine importance of global cadastre and key considerations for establishing a cadastre
Provide overview of existing organizations who work in international land development
Explore Loveland’s role and strategies to move forward in global cadastre development
Need for Global Cadastre
Around the globe, around 2.5 billion people survive on less than $2 a day. Three quarters of this
demographic inhabit rural lands, which they must develop to live. Nearly a billion global citizens
lack secure rights to the lands they cultivate.1 As Kevin Cahill stresses in his book, Who Owns the
World, “the distinguishing feature of universal poverty is landlessness”.2
Modern development efforts focus largely on providing aid in the form of clothes and food. Aid is
only a short-term solution, providing temporary sustenance. Land provides shelter, livelihood,
and a sense of wealth, fostering a long-term solution. Therefore, it is necessary to provide and
secure land to spur economic growth and eradicate widespread poverty.
Without secure land rights, others can easily take property through violent or political means.
Farmers have little incentive to properly invest in land or maintain its fertility. Businesses are
reluctant to invest in foreign countries without trust that their projects will be protected.
Matt Delano, business area director for Land Administration Solutions, a high-tech company that
provides geo-spatial positioning and software technology for land surveying, highlights the
importance of land rights. “If its property, you can buy it, you can sell it. It now has value,”
explains Delano. “If I have protection from the government that says that land is mine, I’m much
more likely to invest in that land — to clear it and plant it, or build improvements to it, a home or
a well.”3
Many developed countries guarantee land rights and legal protection. Nations in the Americas
and Europe maintain well-defined cadastres, which are bodies of information for properties and
include data about ownership, value, and usage. These formalized cadastres help secure titles
and property rights amongst citizens.
1
https://www.devex.com/news/why-landmatters-for-economic-development-81813
2
Cahill, Kevin. Who Owns the World: The Hidden Facts behind Land Ownership. Edinburgh: Mainstream, 2006.
Print.
3
https://www.devex.com/news/why-landmatters-for-economic-development-81813
4. Most developing countries have weak or non-existent cadastres. 70% of land in developing
countries is unregistered.4 Without cadastral information, it is difficult to obtain titles for land or
property. Missing cadastral information stems from various issues including undefined
boundaries or lack of documentation. Others common obstacles include land that is vested in
religious law, royalty, or even in tribal traditions. Helping develop a global cadastral system can
provide land rights to people around the world and usher a new era of global development. In
order to work towards developing a world cadastre, the following things must be considered:
Land Policy & Culture: It is important to comprehend the varying types of land ownership
and tenure in nations around the globe. Understanding these various forms of land
ownership will help inform how land operates around the world. Not all these models
may fit in a formal global cadastral systems, but understanding them can help discern
where it may or may not work. For example, in Western nations, land is largely held by
citizens and they are free to develop and sell the land as they wish. Meanwhile, countries
in Africa and the Pacific Islands, remain under tribal or customary rule. Some areas, such
as the Middle-East, operate under religious land policies. Countries with Sharia law may
vest land in a religious leader. Similarly, other countries vest land in a royal leader, such
as a king or queen. In other areas, the state simply controls the land.
Government & Politics: Not every government is keen on transparency. Some places do
not advance land titles or registration because they can more easily hide corruption.
Businesses and governments may own illegal land. Developing a cadastre can expose
corruption, therefore many places will not cooperate in developing one. Understanding
governments as well as the law of the land can help assess the feasibility of cadastral
activities in various regions. Additionally, understanding the level of government, such as
if it is local or nationally, can help paint a picture of how land activities are managed.
Infrastructure & Capacity: Many countries simply have ill-defined boundaries, lack
documentation, or lack the resources to develop cadastres. Developed countries usually
rely on large survey and land departments on a national or regional level to maintain a
land registry. It is necessary to understand the existing departments or businesses that
exist in developing nations for these purposes if any at all.
Exhibit 1 provides a sample framework for these considerations. The questions listed under each
section should be asked for each country or region of interest. This is by no means an exhaustive
list, but rather a starting point. Collecting data for these metrics and others can inform the
feasibility of developing a cadastre for each region and its implications.
4
http://usaidlandtenure.net/documents/infographic-why-land-rights-matter
5. Organizations Currently in this Space (See Exhibit 2)
The following organizations are working in the global land development space. They are
responsible for developing large scale projects intended to improve property rights and land
ownership transparency.
Donors/Sponsors
From research and conversations Landesa, USAID, MCC, IDB, World Bank, and Swedesurvey are
key actors for sourcing projects. These organizations assess projects in countries around the
globe, providing assistance and funds for these initiatives. They often work with one another.
Landesa (Non-Profit)5
Background: Landesa works in partnership with local governments, aid agencies and other
partners to assist with reforming land law and policy, providing technical assistance,
implementing new programs, and conducting measurement and evaluation services. Its activities
include:
Initial assessments to identify existing laws, policies and cultural conditions
Collaborating with public officials to adopt pro land policies
Assisting in implementation of new laws to benefit landless families
Monitoring and evaluating impact
Impact: Landesa has worked in 45 developing nations and secured land rights for over 105
million families or 400 million people.
Key Donors:
Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation
Ford Foundation
Google Foundation
IKEA Foundation
Nike Foundation
Omidyar Network
River Star Foundation
5
All information from www.landesa.org
6. Current Key Projects
China: To ensure that China’s 200 million farming families have secure land tenure and
can invest in their land with confidence. Design and promote more equitable laws on
land takings and establish institutions and systems that allow farmers, including female
farmers, to protect their land rights. Turn existing 30-year land rights into perpetually
renewable rights.
India: To help India’s 15 million poor, rural, landless families obtain ownership of a small
plot of land and the opportunity to build a better future.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Landesa targets root causes of poverty and insecurity in sub-Saharan
Africa: insufficient recognition and protection of rural peoples’ land rights, women’s lack
of control over assets, weak land management and conflict resolution institutions, and
gaps and contradictions between customary and formal law.
USAID (Government Agency)6
Background: Leads the United States Government to realize international efforts—in accordance
with the U.S. Government's Land Governance Policy—to clarify and strengthen the land tenure
and property rights of all members of society—individuals, groups and legal entities, including
those individuals and groups that are often marginalized, and the LTRM Office will help ensure
that land governance systems are effective, accessible, and responsive. Will achieve this by
testing innovative models for securing land tenure and property rights and disseminating best
practice as it relates to securing land rights and improving resource governance within the USG
and our development partners.
Impact: USAID has 38 active programs in 30 countries with over $400 million in funding.
Key Implementation Partners (in order of importance/impact):
Tetra Tech
Chemonics International
Development Alternatives, Inc.
Cloudburst Consulting Group
Current Key Projects:
Mobile Application to Secure Tenure, Tanzania: USAID is piloting a project to crowdsource
land rights information at the village level in Tanzania using mobile technology.
6
All information from http://usaidlandtenure.net/
7. Land and Rural Development Project, Colombia: The Project will build the capacity of the
institutions to administer and manage the programs to restitute land to victims of conflict
and extend land titling in prioritized rural areas.
Millennium Challenge Corporation (Government Agency)7
Background: MCC and many of its partner countries have invested in land and property rights
projects because of the critical role that land, natural resources and other property assets play in
economic development. These projects help improve access to land for productive use, increase
security of property rights and improve land governance and administration.
Impact: MCC has invested approximately $298 million in land programs and achieved the
following benchmarks:
102 legal and regulatory reforms adopted
191 land administration offices established or upgraded
Over 98,000 stakeholders trained
Over 13,000 conflicts successfully mitigated
Over 300,000 parcels formalized
Current Key Projects:
Indonesia Compact: $25 million participatory land use planning activity that will invest in
administrative boundary setting, updating and integration of land use inventories, as well
as enhancing spatial plans at the district and provincial levels.
Cabo Verde Compact: 17.3 million Land Management for Investment Project will digitize
and index core documents within the registry to enable faster search of property records,
and will link these files to municipal-level property information. The computerized system
will improve the reliability of land information, increase the efficiency of transactions,
clarify parcel rights and boundaries and strengthen protection of land rights, especially
for targeted islands with high investment potential.
Senegal Compact: The $3.8 million Land Tenure Security Activity will strengthen capacity
of the local institutions responsible for land administration in the zone targeted by the
Irrigation and Water Resource Management project.
Inter-American Development Bank [IDB] (International Organization)8
7
All information from https://www.mcc.gov/pages/sectors/sector/property-rights-and-land-policy
8
All information from http://www.iadb.org/en/about-us/about-the-inter-american-development-bank,5995.html
8. Background: Works to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean by providing loans,
grants, technical assistance, and conducting extensive research. It is the largest source of
development financing for Latin America and Caribbean. IDB works with central governments,
provinces, municipalities, private firms, and NGOs
Impact: Lent $13.1b in 2014
World Bank (International Organization)9
Background: Provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the
world. Forms unique partnerships to reduce poverty and support development.
Swedesurvey (State-Owned Overseas Agency)10
Background: Swedesurvey is the state-owned overseas agency of Lantmäteriet, the Swedish
national mapping, cadastral, land registration authority, established in 1628. Since the beginning
of the 1980s Swedesurvey has exported the competences and experience of Lantmäteriet
throughout the world and as part of the Swedish governmental policy for global development,
with the ultimate objective being to provide prerequisites for improved living conditions.
Impact: Land administration projects have been carried out in more than 70 countries and many
of them have lasted for 5-10 years in order to secure sustainable results.
Implementation Partners
After sponsors/donors determine the type of work necessary, they contract other organizations
for implementation. Some of the key implementing partners are Tetra Tech, Chemonics
International, Development Alternatives, Inc., and Cloudburst Consulting Group. These
implementation partners all work with USAID and subcontract their work further to other
organizations. They are part of The STARR IDIQ Contract, a five-year program designed to
address complex resource tenure challenges as identified by the U.S. Government (USG).
9
All information from http://www.worldbank.org/en/about
10
All Information from http://www.swedesurvey.se/read-about
9. Tetra Tech (business)11
Background: Tetra Tech is a public company providing International Development Services in
more than 135 countries. Through Tetra Tech’s global land tenure and property rights work, the
company has strengthened informal and formal land conflict mitigation systems, carried out
participatory land use planning, conducted mapping and adjudication of claims, drafted land law
and policy, built capacity of government institutions, strengthened land administration systems,
promoted land restitution and raised public awareness of land rights in 10 countries over the
past five years. The members of Tetra Tech’s STARR consortium are: CHF International,
Development & Training Services, Inc., Landesa Rural Development Institute, LEAD Analytics,
Inc., Mendez, England & Associates, Michigan State University, Stewart Global Solutions,
Winrock International, and World Resources Institute. Tetra Tech is the main implementing
partner for USAID.
Chemonics International (business)11
Background: An employee-owned, international development company with a focus in the
service of development. Since 1975, Chemonics has worked in over 150 countries to fulfill its
mission of helping people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. The
STARR consortium members for Chemonics are: CARE, Inc., International Forestry Resources and
Institutions (IFRI) at the University of Michigan, Indiana University Bloomington, LTL Strategies,
NORC at the University of Chicago, Overseas Strategic Consulting, Ltd., Partners for Democratic
Change, The QED Group, LLC, Spectrum Media, Thomson Reuters, Terra Global Capital, LLC, and
Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management.
The Cloudburst Consulting Group (business)11
Background: Small business that serves underserved socially and economically disadvantaged
persons in the U.S. and abroad. Since 2008, Cloudburst has supported USAID efforts in land
tenure, resource management and environmental compliance by improving knowledge
management systems, building capacity, and enhancing public communications and outreach.
Cloudburst’s consortium for STARR includes: Banyan Communications, Bixal, CDR Associates,
Holistic Management International, Indiana University, Management Systems International
(MSI), Michigan Technological University, and Thomson Reuters.
11
All information from
http://usaidlandtenure.net/sites/default/files/USAID_Land_Tenure_STARR_Fact_Sheet_0.pdf
10. Development Alternatives, Inc. (business)12
Background: An employee-owned global development company with a mission to make a lasting
difference in the world by helping developing nations become more prosperous, fairer and more
just, cleaner, safer, healthier, more stable, more efficient and better governed. The company has
worked in more than 160 countries since its start in 1970. The consortium for DAI under STARR
includes: Cardno Emerging Markets, East West Management Institute, Environmental Law
Institute, Environmental Systems Research Institute, and International Center for Research on
Women, Land Equity International, and Land Tenure Center at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison, Namati, and Spectrum Media.
Technology Providers
Trimble and Thomson Reuters seem to be the key players for providing technology related to
projects.
Trimble (business)13
Background: High-tech Company that provides geospatial positioning and software technology
for land surveying, among other services. It works with agencies, such as USAID, to implement
solutions.
Impact: Trimble has completed projects in 17 countries.
Current Key Projects:
Saudi Arabia: Process of preparing the design of both the land registration system and the
land registration vehicle. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has identified the need for the
efficient management of land rights information, including the improvement of the
business processes associated with the registration of these rights, the issuance of land
rights certificates and/or titles, the transparent facilitation of real estate transactions and
the equitable generation of revenues from fees from the activities related to inputting
and maintaining the land information
Key Products / Technologies:
Landfolio: An innovative software that automates and integrates all key elements of land
information management, including registry, cadastre, tax valuation, GIS analysis and
12
All information from
http://usaidlandtenure.net/sites/default/files/USAID_Land_Tenure_STARR_Fact_Sheet_0.pdf
13
All information from www.Trimble.com
11. public access. All of these components are designed to work together as an integrated
suite, or each can stand alone, giving the government the option to use them as needed.
So, regardless of the location, environment or process workflow, Landfolio is designed for
rapid localization, standardized business processes and optimal functionality.
Other: Has many other devices and computers that map coordinates and boundaries.
Thomson Reuters (business)
Background: Another technology provider. There is less information on this organization's role in
land tenure and development, but per conversations, it competes in the same space as Trimble.
Key Products / Technologies:
Aumentum: Product suite that includes key elements of land information
management, including tax, valuation, registry, recorder, cadastre, etc. Components
can work together or stand alone.
Disclaimer
The list of aforementioned organizations is not an exhaustive list. They are among the key
players in the global land development space based on research and conversations with industry
experts. Loveland should continue to explore what types of organization exist in this space.
However, for the sake of timeliness and prioritization, it is best to begin reaching out to these
organizations to establish relationships. This will allow Loveland to continue learning about this
space and exploring possibilities of working with these organizations to help develop the global
cadastre.
Existing Competencies
The following are some functions that are already fulfilled by these existing organizations:
Project Assessment
Project Funding
Field-work
Capacity Building
Policy Intervention
12. Land Information Management Technologies
Physical Mapping
Loveland's Position
The previous information suggests that there organizations are already completing great deal of
work related to global land development. This work should contribute to help establish a global
cadastre. Given this background, Loveland must understand what role it wants to play in this
field. The existing competences suggest that Loveland's best value proposition is to host all the
information that is gathered around the world. Loveland already has robust technologies,
including Site Control, which can help organizations and countries host data. While other
applications for this may already exist, Site Control appears to have a more powerful user-
interface. Loveland can leverage this technology to work with these organizations and host
parcels. Moreover, Loveland's surveying app can then be used to collect other data in these
regions as governments and businesses deem fit.
Loveland's Approach
The following are potential steps Loveland should following moving forward in pursuit of
developing a global cadastre:
1. Source what’s out there: Scrape any data that is available online. Continue to search and
connect with GIS sites, land survey sites, and other platforms to acquire data readily
available.
2. Partnerships: Develop relationships with organizations doing work in this space to acquire
data and create data. Many organizations may have data they have created/collected
that is not available online from projects. Speaking with donors/sponsors can help source
this additional data. While obviously there are specific agencies and international
organizations in this space, it is worth getting creative and also speaking with NGOs and
some private entities, such as utilities companies, phone-operators, and banks, who use
spatial information to operate.
3. Crowdsource: Data is not available everywhere. It might help splitting the world into
quadrants to help source data through crowdsourcing.
4. Business Model: It is necessary to understand what Loveland's business model will be for
this global cadastral movement. Some ideas include
13. Contract Work: Collecting data on behalf of governments and donors (similar to
MCM)
Uber-like Surveys: Creating a platform where people can request surveys and have
them completed (basically crowdsourcing).
Tax Assessment: Helping assess property value and taking a small portion of tax-
revenue
Things to Consider Collecting Data On / Mapping
Tribal Areas: Many regions have customary or tribal rules for land tenure. While it may
not be possible to map parcels for these areas, it might be useful to map general tribal
regions and attribute data to those boundaries. This will provide a better picture on all
the tribal/customary areas in the world.
Women's Property Rights: Mapping all the property owned by women around the world
would be another interesting data figure to see visually.
The Open-Source World Map Portal
Developing the global cadstre is a daunting task. Every country has different challenges, policies,
and infrastructure. It will take a long-time to gather existing parcel data and create new data.
Given this challenge, it might be helpful to create an open-source portal that is tracking the state
of land development on Loveland's site. The idea is to treat country boundaries as their own
parcels and attach different attributes that can be filtered. Sample attributes includes:
Is private property guaranteed?
Are there deeds registries?
Are there land registries?
Is there any digital data?
Is there communal ownership?
This portal will help Loveland create a "Wikipedia" for global land development. It will help
Loveland understand the environment as it continues to update these attributes to maintain a
dynamic view of what is occurring around the world related to land. Not only is this useful for
Loveland, but other organizations and individuals can contribute to this body of work to
crowdsource information. Moreover, it can be a place where all the projects being completed
around the world are tracked and updated. Organizations can directly update information on the
portal to reflect new policies and data in the countries in which they have recently completed
work.
14. Exhibit 1- Considerations Framework
Land Policy & Culture
• Who owns the land?
• What are the different
forms of land tenure?
• What are the different
religious or cultural
practices that
influence land law?
Government & Politics
• What type of
governmental system
exists?
• How corrupt is the
government?
• How decentralized is
the government?
Infrastructure &
Capacity
• What institutions exist
to manage, survey,
and/or record land
data?
• What is the level of
technological
advancement?
15. Exhibit 2- Organizations in Global Land Development Space
Donors/Sponsors
Implementation Partners
Technology Providers
