Resource information
This document proposes a set of
generally applicable recommendations and good practices for
creating a Mineral Rights Cadastre (MRC), an administrative
body responsible for overseeing the process of granting and
managing mineral licenses throughout a country. The document
reviews lessons learned from World Bank-funded projects
aimed at reforming mineral rights management and assesses
the impacts and benefits of the implemented changes. The
document focuses on the MRC system as a key regulatory
agency of mining sector administration. This study is also
intended to fill a gap in the literature on mining sector
administration, as few publications since roughly the 1930s
have been dedicated to the overall analysis of MRCs,
particularly in relation to modern and recent mining
cadastral practices. While the overall concepts and
principles presented in this document are intended to be
universally valid and applicable, there is no single
solution to mining sector development, and it would be
unrealistic to believe that actions that have been
successful in one country can be directly transferred to
others. The MRC of any given country will need to be adapted
to that particular country's culture, tradition,
existing legal framework, development capacity, and other
factors. This document describes the trade-offs that may be
necessary to arrive at an acceptable solution; using case
studies, it also highlights concrete applications that can
be recommended, based on typical country circumstances.
