Sustainability in land administration: Making land management ethical

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• October 6, 2023

Insight summary

There has been a growing concern over the impact of land-related activities on the environment and the need to implement sustainable practices in these areas. As a result, many land administrators are now exploring ways to incorporate sustainability principles into their work, including using renewable energy sources and reducing their carbon footprint. 

Sustainability in land administration context

One of the ways that sustainability is being implemented in land administration is by transitioning to digital land registries. Stakeholders can easily access and verify property data, increasing transparency in the real estate sector. This enhanced accountability significantly reduces the chances of illegal activities related to land transactions. Moreover, digitized records and registries enable quicker processing of transactions, saving time and resources. 

Another sustainable practice is integrated land use planning. This planning uses a spatial-based approach to allocate land for various purposes while balancing economic, social, and environmental values at the national or sub-national level. Moreover, it is a crucial instrument for resolving conflicting interests among groups, communities, and different land users, as well as between traditional rights holders, state authorities, and private entities. This approach generally addresses issues like population growth, limited resources with increasing competing uses, land degradation, and unsustainable urban development.

The challenge of climate change further highlights the need for integrated land use planning that fully recognizes its impact. Such planning can help prevent the effects of climate-related hazards, such as flooding, drought, water scarcity, and heat stress, as well as reduce the exposure of valuable assets to such risks. Additionally, strategic land use planning can help mitigate the impact of other natural disasters, both climate- and non-climate-related. For example, zoning is utilized in Switzerland and Austria to limit new construction in areas prone to snow avalanches.

Disruptive impact

Drones may be increasingly used to survey land to reduce carbon emissions caused by travel and onsite work. These machines are equipped with global positioning satellites (GPS) and can fly while taking photos. These images are geotagged and can be combined using software to create a 3D map providing valuable information. Although surveyors still need to visit project sites, drones can significantly minimize their time spent there. Rather than manually surveying an entire area by walking a grid, surveyors can accomplish the task in minutes using a drone flight.

Governments can also use land administration and surveying agencies to implement sustainable initiatives like renewable energy. An example is the Netherlands' Cadastre, Land Registry and Mapping Agency (Kadaster), which developed a database on the potential for solar energy, such as available rooftop space and identification of existing solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. This information is beneficial for the Regional Energy Strategy (RES) regions in meeting their Climate Agreement targets.

Geographic Information systems (GIS) are also being developed to enable spatial data collection, storage, analysis, and visualization. These features allow for better decision-making in land management, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. Real estate applications now incorporate GIS technology to provide potential homebuyers with valuable insights into the neighborhoods they are exploring. With numerous map layers available, users can evaluate proximity to amenities, air quality, and more. The focus of home seekers has shifted beyond merely browsing pictures on property search websites; they are now delving into comprehensive information about an area's quality of life.

Implications of sustainability in land administration

Wider implications of sustainability in land administration may include: 

• More inclusive and equitable communities, emphasizing land rights and tenure security for marginalized groups.
• Economic growth caused by promoting responsible land use and resource management, creating new opportunities for investment, tourism, and agriculture.
• Sustainable practices addressing urbanization challenges by promoting well-planned and inclusive city development. This practice may enable cities to accommodate growing populations without compromising the quality of life for residents.
• Advances in geospatial technologies, such as satellite imagery and geographic information systems (GIS), enabling better monitoring and management of land resources, leading to more accurate land records, streamlined land transactions, and improved decision-making in land use planning.
• New job opportunities in agriculture, land management, and geospatial technology. 
• Reduced deforestation, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. This trend may contribute to climate change mitigation efforts and help protect ecosystems that provide essential services, such as water purification and flood prevention.
• Next-generation apps, open portals, and maps that better equip communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as increased flooding, droughts, and changing agricultural conditions. 
• Greater collaboration between countries on issues like transboundary land and water management, leading to more effective regional and global efforts to address land-related challenges, such as climate change, migration, and resource conflicts.

Questions to consider

• How else can land agencies promote more sustainable land use and management?
• What are the other potential benefits of integrated land use planning?