Land consolidation: A key to successful land reform?

Geneva

After two decades of reforms, the lack of adequate market regulatory frameworks to support economic development is still a concern for many transition countries in the UNECE region. In some countries, the parcelling of land that resulted from privatization processes has not favoured efforts to increase productivity. In Bulgaria, for instance, some 2 million owners possess over 10 million properties, with an average size of only 0.7 hectares. Many Governments have a similar need to boost the agricultural sector through exercises in land consolidation.

The need for improved capacities of States to guarantee efficient land administration was discussed in a workshop, “Experiences with Improved Data Management in UNECE countries,” held on 23 and 24 April 2009 in Sofia. The workshopaddressed different aspects of ongoing reforms of cadastre and registration systems in Bulgaria and other countries in the UNECE region. Topics addressed included experiences with land reform, the benefits of multi-functional cadastre systems and the need to create adequate valuation standards for real estate.

During the workshop, international experts reviewed alternative instruments to promote economies of scale through land consolidation exercises. One focus was the question of how to increase productivity through an active leasing market in the countryside. A lively debate took place among speakers and the audience on the costs and benefits of mandatory and voluntary approaches to promote the merging of land parcels. Opportunities for public-private partnerships and international cooperation on land consolidation practices as well as the role of State authorities to guarantee security of tenure were also debated. Participants acknowledged the fact that, whatever the approach selected, the voice of local farmers should always be heard and participatory mechanisms should be encouraged.

The workshop also addressed achievements in and pending challenges to the creation of a multi-functional cadastre system in Bulgaria for the storage, maintenance and distribution of land-related information. Government figures show a substantial increase in the financing of cadastral activities over the last decade, which is due in part to increased international cooperation. As a consequence, spending increased from €300,000 in 2001 to over €8 million in 2009. While the centralization of capacity in the national cadastre agency will facilitate access to information by consumers, the country is facing important challenges regarding data maintenance at the local level, where municipalities lack adequate technical capacities and the necessary funding to continuously update existing maps. This is a situation many other countries are facing as well.

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Ref: ECE/ENV/09/P06