Regional Workshop on Land Tenure and Land Consolidation
- Land Development Instruments and Information Tools
to Assist Land Structure Reforms: the Galician Experience
Santiago de Compostela, Galicia
9-11 February 2009
The regional workshop on land tenure and land consolidation with the title "Land Development Instruments and Information Tools to Assist Land Structure Reforms: the Galician Experience" was held in February 2009 in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. It was sponsored by the Regional Ministry of Rural Affairs. Government of Galicia, Consellerķa do Medio Rural, Xunta de Galicia and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The 2009 Regional Workshop (Galicia) built on the foundation laid by earlier regional workshops on land consolidation and it is part of FAO's programme to assist countries to develop responses to their problems of land fragmentation and adverse rural conditions. It provided an opportunity for senior officials responsible for land consolidation and rural development in countries of the region, particularly from CIS countries, to learn about land banking. It helped to reinforce and consolidate the knowledge gained by participants in the series of workshops since 2005, and to strengthen the peer network of professionals who are responsible for implementing land consolidation across the region.
The 2009 workshop (Galicia) was based on the following two technical topics:
 Land development instruments (BanTeGal, UXFOR, draft law on land structure reform)
Land information tools for land development (GIS, information systems)
Participants came from Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine and UNMIK Kosovo. Technical sessions were led by specialists from Galicia (Spain), Portugal, and Sweden, under the overall guidance of FAO.
The objectives of the workshop were the following:
To increase the knowledge about modern land tenure reform instruments, such as:
o The new land tenure structure reform in Galicia, focusing on:
- The functioning of the Galician Land Bank (BanTeGal) after a year of operation
- The functioning of the Forest Management Units (UXFOR) as efficient instruments to consolidate forest areas
- The new draft Act on Land Structure Reform, which is under elaboration in order to adapt the land consolidation schemes to the real needs of the Galician countryside and coordinate it with the new land development instruments
o Similar initiatives in other countries
To increase the knowledge on land administration and information systems to implement land policies, as well as the use of new technologies in the achievement of land policy objectives
To strengthen the peer network of land development professionals around Europe
To illustrate the new policies and instruments trough visiting field projects and case studies
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