International Land Systems (ILS), Inc. has been featured in ESRI's seasonal publication, ArcNews, in a fourth and final segment on ILS' GIS-based pilot land title and registration projects around the world.

In this final chapter, ILS evaluates the results of the pilot project and, in the process, has discovered that the model, which is rooted in cutting both the time and the cost of surveying and producing a land title, can be applied to other impoverished communities where microfinance institutions successfully operate.  "The premise of the pilot program is that human dignity goes hand in hand with certain basic rights.  One means of restoring the dignity of the poor is to recognize their identity and the location of where they live through a formal land registration process assisted by a trusted broker in the community." the article reads.  The idea that land title is a source of empowerment for these poor landowners lends itself to be overwhelmingly popular in such communities and the blend with the microfinance framework has shown to be ideal as a result of the pilot project.  

ILS hopes to expand this pilot project to the rural areas of Ghana and similar areas around the world, keeping up the momentum.  Being able to apply such a low cost, yet commercially viable, GIS-driven model aims to attract the attention of more microfinance institutions, allowing the work to be expanded into more arenas and help more of the poor.

This article is Part Four of a four part series in ESRI's seasonal publication, ArcNews, and the third article to focus on the Ghana pilot program.  If you would like to view the full article, please click here.