Digital Cadastres Facilitating Land Information Management

Abstract

A nation’s natural resources form the basis of economic growth in most developing nations. Raw materials required for the manufacturing industry which drives the economy are extracted from the land resource. This renders good governance of land crucial in any country as it is also the basis of sustainable development. However, to achieve betterment in managing land, there is need for accurate, reliable and up to date information about land. Such proper land management policies however remain a challenge to most governments in African nations. Problems with land information differ case by case, but among the most common are the facts that land information is usually not coordinated or it is inadequate. In some cases, land information is available but largely inaccessible. The objective of this paper is to bring out the role of a digital cadastre towards improved land management and land administration. The paper discusses modernization of cadastral systems in municipalities through technological reforms as a facet to improved land governance and at the same time improving access to cadastral information which is public information.