Partnered with ESRI Canada and Landstar Digital Technology, ILS was engaged in the Rural Land Registration and Certification Pilot Program through the China Agricultural University.  In 3 months, the program was able to take ILS' Land Registry System (LRS) framework and adhere it to the local laws, Chinese language, as well as integrating it with the land survey of Feidong County, the pilot site.  In that time, it also was able to come under adherence to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization manual, as the program was funded by the FAO and the World Bank.

The program was necessitated out of a need to strengthening the land rights of individual farmers who were facing increasing encroachments on their rural holdings by the local collectives who leased them to the farmers.  "When land disputes arise, it is difficult or impossible for farmers to prove what rights they have to specific pieces of proprety without adequate documentation."  By registering every rural land parcel and accurately recording its correct boundaries, proper land tenure becomes possible.  As a result, farmers are more empowered knowing that his parcels are protected, while the local collectives and central government have acess to accurate landownership records which will prove useful as the country aims to combat poverty, particularly by enhancing food security.

This article, authored by ILS President & CEO, Peter Rabley, is Part Three of a multi-part series in ESRI's seasonal publication, ArcNews.  To view the full article, please click here .