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This event, hosted at ODI in London, was convened to discuss the use of new technologies to map and document land rights, and their impact on land registration and administration, and provide updates on recent activities of Forum members, including DFID.
Recent innovations in technology are revolutionising efforts to document land rights and to open up access to land data around the world. Technology, such as GPS and drones, now allow practitioners to document land rights effectively at much lower cost, in even the most remote locations, compared to traditional surveying techniques. While these innovations have the potential to help secure land rights for the estimated 70% of land in low and middle income countries that is currently undocumented, they are not without challenges. The use of such technologies require complex software and computer infrastructures, and their adaptation and use in resource-constrained environments requires financial and technical capacities to be in place. Different needs require different scales of technology, and technology use may need land policy to be adjusted to ensure that it fulfils national requirements and follows due process.
The aim of the meeting was to facilitate discussion around land and technology based on recent research and activities to move towards answering key questions about the role of technology.