Re-engineering land administration systems for sustainable development — from rhetoric to reality

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Abstract

Current land administration systems are the product of 19th century economic and land market paradigms and have failed to properly support sustainable development. The need for urgent reform is accepted, but the way forward unclear in many jurisdictions. This paper will discuss current international initiatives and research to develop a new land administration vision to promote sustainable development. Within this context, this paper describes the changing humankind to land relationship, identifies some of the growing environmental pressures facing modern society and the need for sustainable development, explores the evolving role of land administration in society and highlights the need for land administration systems to play a more proactive role in supporting sustainable development objectives. The process to re-engineer land administrations is briefly reviewed. The paper then highlights the development of a national land administration vision and strategy. In proposing strategies the paper draws on international trends and experiences such as highlighted in the recent United Nations — International Federation of Surveyors Declaration on Land Administration for Sustainable Development.

Résumé

Les systèmes actuels d’administration des terrains sont les produits des paradigmes économiques et des marchés des terrains du 19ème siècle; ils ont échoué en tant qu’appui correct d’un développement durable. Le besoin d’une réforme urgente est accepté, mais la voie à suivre n’est pas claire dans beaucoup de juridictions. Cet article discutera des initiatives internationales et des recherches actuelles pour développer une nouvelle vision de l’administration des terrains afin de promouvoir un développement durable. Dans ce contexte, cet article décrit le changement dans la relation des hommes à la terre, identifie certaines des pressions montantes environnementales auxquelles doit faire face la société moderne et le besoin d’un développement durable, explore le rôle évolutif de l’administration dans la société et souligne le besoin de systèmes d’administration des terrains capables de jouer un rôle plus actif en appuyant des objectifs de développement durable. Le procédé pour réorganiser les administrations des terrains est brièvement revu. L’article souligne alors le développement d’une vision et d’une stratégie d’une administration nationale des terrains. En proposant des stratégies, l’article s’appuie sur des tendances et expériences internationales telles que celles soulignées dans la récente déclaration faite aux Nations-Unies par la Fédération Internationale des Géomètres sur l’Administration des Terres pour un développement durable.

Resumen

Los sistemas actuales de administración de las tierras son el producto de los paradigmas económicos y del mercado de bienes raices del siglo XIX; estos sistemas no han podido darle el soporte adecuado al desarrollo sostenible. Se acepta la necesidad de reformas urgentes, pero el camino para lograrlas no está claro en muchas jurisdicciones. Este artículo discute iniciativas e investigación, que se desarrollan actualmente en el ámbito internacional para crear una nueva visión de administración de las tierras con fines de promover el desarrollo sostenible. En este contexto, el artículo describe los cambios de la humanidad en sus relaciones con las tierras, identifica algunas de las crecientes presiones ambientales que enfrenta la sociedad moderna y la necesidad de desarrollo sostenible, explora el papel cambiante de la administración de tierras en la sociedad, y subraya la necesidad para los sistemas de administración de tierras de desempeñar un papel más pro-activo en dar soporte a los objetivos del desarrollo sostenible. Se repasa brevemente el proceso de diseñar una nueva administración de tierras. En seguida, el artículo pone énfasis en el desarrollo de una visión y una estrategia para la administración de tierras a nivel nacional. Para proponer estrategias, el artículo se basa en tendencias y experiencias internacionales, tales como las que se encuentran enfatizadas en el reciente documento intitulado United Nations — International Federation of Surveyors Declaration on Land Administration for Sustainable Development.

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