Background

GeoTech4Tenure is a capacity development initiative that connects land tenure and geospatial experts with regional and local stakeholders to provide practical guidance in developing and implementing solutions tailored to national contexts. Through virtual workshops and in-country technical support, it helps strengthen capacities to apply inclusive approaches and select appropriate technologies.

Developed as a joint initiative between FAO and IFAD, GeoTech4Tenure builds on the recognition that traditional, large-scale land administration investments alone are no longer sufficient to address evolving tenure challenges. Emerging geospatial and information technologies offer new opportunities to strengthen participatory approaches and expand the inclusion of groups often excluded from land recordation, such as women and youth. Research increasingly highlights the importance of tenure security and sustainable land management in areas such as food security, resilience, and climate change.

Our approach

Investors play a key role in governance of tenure by improving access to land and natural resources and strengthening tenure security. At the same time, insufficient attention to tenure issues in development investments can put development plans and capital at risk. Demand for land services is increasing, especially in contexts where communal, customary and traditional land rights are rapidly evolving, and governments are creating opportunities for public–private investments to contribute to securing tenure rights.

wide range of fit-for-purpose land administration technologies is now available. However, while private sector actors provide valuable services, their efforts are often not integrated into national land registration systems, leading to inefficiencies, increased risks and unsustainable costs. Strengthening governance of tenure therefore requires better integration of technologies within national systems and across public and private investments. Choices in the use of technology are as influential as policy decisions and will shape the future of tenure security.

Virtual training programme

GeoTech4Tenure supports this process by enabling the cost-effective implementation of legal and policy frameworks. In collaboration with national institutions, technical cooperation includes:

• Delivery of impartial and field-tested services.
• Rapid tenure assessments at project sites.
• Strategic advice on fit-for-purpose land administration technologies;
• Capacity development for government counterparts, stakeholders and project staff.

The GeoTech4Tenure virtual training programme strengthens capacities to apply participatory approaches and geospatial technologies in support of tenure security. Developed for development partners, FAO and IFAD country teams and project staff working on land tenure, the programme combines e-learning, technical guidance and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

Participants learn about:

• Core concepts of tenure, tenure security and tenure governance.
• Challenges and opportunities related to tenure in development investments.
• Participatory land recordation and mapping methods.
• The use of geospatial and information technologies for land recordation.
• Criteria for selecting appropriate technologies for different contexts.

In-country technical support and training

The initiative provides a broad range of technical support activities for land tenure initiatives involving national government agencies and development interventions. Support includes policy guidance, strategic and operational advice for planning and implementing land tenure components, as well as assistance with implementation and impact evaluation. Context-specific training and capacity development programmes are also designed and delivered to respond to local needs and realities, including pilot initiatives and support to land tenure components within development interventions.

Webinars

IFAD and FAO are offering an online learning programme to support development investment projects and partners in finding solutions to secure tenure rights through the combined application of participatory methods and geomatics technology.

The learning programme is accompanied by a series of short webinars where technology providers present their tools and software solutions for land recordation and give examples how they are applied in practice. Each webinar is around 30 minutes.

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