GeoTech4Tenure: Combining Participatory Methodologies with Geospatial Information Technologies and Systems to Secure Tenure Rights

Over the past three decades, initiatives aimed at securing legitimate customary, indigenous, and informal tenure rights have steadily increased at various levels. The primary motives include protecting the rights of the poor, supplying preventative justice and limiting the emergence of future conflicts.

Recently, the connection between protecting tenure rights, increasing tenure security, investment and development has become more apparent and the risks related to insecure tenure have been better defined for small-holders and large scale investors. Consequently, public and private land-based investments increasingly recognize protecting tenure rights and increasing tenure security as a critical enabler for success. Such development interventions are now better equipped to address tenure insecurity when necessary.

This capacity development initiative offers guidance for development investments to strengthen tenure rights through inclusive and participatory methods and demonstrates how geomatics technology can support these efforts.

GeoTech4Tenure is a collaborative initiative between IFAD and FAO, supported by IFAD’s Innovation Challenge Programme with additional contributions from IFAD’s Land Tenure Desk and FAO’s Land Tenure Team in the Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division. Stakeholders were engaged through a dedicated online learning platform, through peer-to-peer online learning modules, and face-to-face training sessions.

GeoTech4Tenure serves as a comprehensive resource for diverse stakeholders, including project staff, governments, Civil Society Organizations, Indigenous Peoples, decision-makers, and development practitioners involved in land and natural resource-related investments, , who intend to support participatory actions to increase security of tenure.

Key activities of the initiative include:

• Publication of technical guidelines on combining participatory methodologies with geospatial information technologies (geomatics) and systems to secure tenure rights (GeoTech4tenure guidelines) in English, French and Spanish.
• Design and delivery of five online peer-to-peer learning programs in English, French, and Spanish.
• Design and delivery of country-specific face-to-face training sessions tailored to needs (in Sierra Leone, and Tanzania).
• Development of GeoTech4Tenure guidelines focused on:
  • Women’s land rights
  • Indigenous Peoples land tenure rights
• Organization of 12 webinars showcasing geospatial technologies for tenure security.
• A certified FAO eLearning course available free of charge via the FAO eLearning Academy.

Geotech4Tenure has: 

• Raised awareness on the role of tenure security in safeguarding family farmers’ achievements in the context of rural development investments;
• Developed multi-stakeholder capacity to identify tenure challenges and better secure tenure rights;
• Created a community of practice to encourage information exchange and peer-to-peer learning, appreciated by development partners such as World Bank, ILC, Land Portal, IFAD and FAO decentralized offices.

• GeoTech4Tenure
• E-Learning: Geotech4Tenure - Combining geospatial technology and participatory methods for securing tenure rights