Global Land Tool’s and Open Land Administration
The previous sections have been published in my later posts: Land Administration – Part 1 & Part 2, Land Management Paradigm, and Portugal Country Model Review.
2.1.5. The Global Land Tool Network (GLTN)
The Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) is an alliance of global regional and national partners contributing to poverty alleviation through land reform, improved land management and security of tenure particularly through the development and dissemination of pro-poor and gender-sensitive land tools (GLTN, 2012).
According to (GLTN, 2012a) a land tool is a practical way to solve a problem in land administration and management. It is a way to put principles, policies and legislation into effect. The term covers a wide range of methods: from a simple checklist to use when conducting a survey, a set of software and accompanying protocols, or a broad set of guidelines and approaches. The emphasis is on practicality: users should be able to take a land tool and apply it (or adapt it) to their own situation.
To reach the overall goal of poverty alleviation through land reform, improved land management and security of tenure, the GLTN Partners are in the process of developing 18 key land tools (presented in Figure 13) which need to be addressed in order to deal with poverty and land issues at the country level, across all regions. Some of these tools are at an advanced stage of development and are being tested in selected countries (e.g. the Social Tenure Domain Model and Gender Evaluation Criteria), whereas others are still at the early stages of development (GLTN, 2012a).
Figure 13 - GLTN Diagram Tools (GLTN, 2012a)
The Land Tool Development section of the above referred website provides two links, i.e. Themes, in which the tools are embedded, and Cross Cutting Issues (GLTN, 2012a).
2.1.6. Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM)
Where there is little land information, there is little or no land management. Conventional Land Administration Systems are based on the ‘parcel approach’ as applied in the developed world and implemented in developing countries in colonial times. A more flexible system is needed for identifying the various kinds of land tenure in informal settlements or in customary areas (Lemmen, 2010).
Traditional land surveys are costly and time consuming. For this reason alternatives are needed; e.g. boundary surveys based on handheld GPS observations, or by drawing boundaries on satellite images. This means of course a different accuracy of co-ordinates. Surveyors understand this and surveyors are needed to provide quality labels and to improve the quality of co-ordinates at a later moment in time (Lemmen, 2010).
In this same direction (Hespanha, et al., 2013) states that flexibility is needed in relation to the way of recording, the type of spatial units used, the inclusion of customary and informal rights, the data acquisition methodologies and in the accuracy of boundary delineation. It is less important to produce accurate maps. It is more important to have a complete cadastral index map and to know how accurate the map is.
In this context, UN-HABITAT develops an initiative to support pro-poor land administration: The Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM).
Because, as stated by (Augustinus, 2010a), currently, most poor people are not covered by a land administration system and its linked land information management system. This means that they do not benefit from these systems in regard to tenure security, planning and service delivery, slum upgrading, resolution of disputes and so on. STDM would make it possible for a country and/or local government to go to scale and include low-income people in their information systems and in their land delivery approaches. This would have a direct impact on the quality of life of the poor and on poverty reduction. It would also have a direct impact on the stabilisation and governance of cities, also through the empowerment of the poor. This is because it is not possible to create sustainable cities if the poor are not part of the solution.
In fact, STDM is a ‘specialization’ of LADM, that means, structurally it is a little less complex than LADM, but it contains almost the same functionality of LADM, under different terminology STDM is meant specifically for developing countries, countries with very little cadastral coverage in urban areas with slums, or in rural customary areas. It is also meant for post conflict areas. The focus of STDM is on all relationships between people and land, independently from the level of formalization, or legality of those relationships (Lemmen, 2010).
Moreover, the work presented in (Paasch, et al., 2013) paper show that it is possible to extend the Land Administration Domain Model, LADM and its code lists, using the Legal Cadastral Domain Model, LCDM and the Social Tenure Domain Model, STDM, to making it possible to describe non-formal rights, restrictions and responsibilities; it’s also recommended by the authors further research in this issue.
In agreement with previously arguments (Hespanha, et al., 2013) states that LADM provides a generic data model for land administration based on common grounds. It is possible to use it in so-called informal and customary environments. This provides a basis to apply the model to support equal land rights for all. To support in avoidance of land grabbing by mapping the existing situation fast and with unconventional approaches as point cadastres, satellite images, boundary drawing instead of measuring, with participatory approaches, accepting errors and with the intention to improve quality later. With its broad functionality LADM can support in the development of concepts for land administration systems which can be in support administration of multiple types of tenure. This is also valid for the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM).
2.1.7. Solutions for Open Land Administration (SOLA)
To support the issues referred above, concerning computerised cadastre and registration systems in developing countries, was launched, in mid-2010, the Solutions for Open Land Administration (SOLA) Project.
SOLA is an open source software system that aims to make computerised cadastre and registration systems more affordable and more sustainable in developing countries. Three countries (Samoa, Nepal and Ghana) have been identified for pilot implementation of the software (FAO, 2013).
According to FIG/FAO booklet (FIG and FAO, 2010) the costs of proprietary software licenses have proved to be a constraint, but even more, the lack of capacity, models and support to develop software have stopped initiatives. Open-source software, which has become a credible alternative to proprietary software, provides a way forward. Open-source solutions are more flexible and adaptable to local conditions and languages than proprietary software. By using and improving open-source software, cadastres can build local knowledge and contribute to the development of open-source projects that can in turn benefit other cadastres worldwide.
Finally, I would like to refer that, it is already possible to proceed with the installation of the SOLA Release Candidate Web Start applications, and install and configure the development tools used for SOLA, with the support of the SOLA Developer Setup Bundle (FAO, 2013).
2.1.8. Crowdsourcing land administration information
According to (Mclaren, 2009) the ease and increasing use of GPS for data capture, adoption of data standards, the availability of Web 2.0 tools and the efficiency of mashups for managing and distributing the information are accelerating the growth of crowdsourcing and distributed citizen sensing.
In this context, crowdsourcing is being used to improve public confidence in land administration records in several countries in Europe and Central Asia. Land records are now available through the Internet and citizens are encouraged to report discrepancies so they can be corrected (Tonchovska, et al., 2014).
But, the challenge for land professionals is not just to replicate elements of their current services using crowdsourcing, but to radically rethink how land administration services are managed and delivered in partnership with citizens. Land administration by the people can become a distinctly 21st century phenomenon (Mclaren, 2011).
PS: This text is extracted from my Master's Thesis in GIS and Science (published at RUN: The implementation of an Enterprise Geographical Information System to support Cadastre and Exp... ) Dissertation's State of Art Chapter 2.
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