RESEARCH
GIS and Property Registration in Guatemala
Lack of access to land tenure is widely recognized as a significant problem in developing countries. In Latin America, this problem leads to such negative consequences as rapid urbanization, squatting, and deforestation as citizens struggle to make a living. In 2004, my research team was funded by the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NSF Grant # DGE-9870668) to work on the project entitled: A Collaborative Approach to Support Participatory GIS for Guatemalan Land Registration.
This study examined limits to successful completion of land registry processes in Latin America, particularly in Guatemala. Building upon a previous US Agency for International Development sponsored study, a follow-up site visit to Guatemala City was conducted. In particular, we visited several government GIS labs and academic departments in Guatemala to examine if limited interaction among government agencies, NGOs, and local communities is a significant barrier to successful land registry. We also examined to what extent Guatemalan academic programs and government agencies are developing a GIS workforce that meets the needs of the cadastral project. Findings from this project and future work on this topic are in process.
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