Land tenure issues in economic development

Land, property and construction are reckoned to account for around 20 per cent of the gross domestic product of many nations. The relationship between people and the land is complex and differs between nations depending on their history, culture and legal system. Many countries, especially those in transition from command to market-driven economies, are re-engineering their cadastral and land registration systems in order to provide cheaper, faster and more secure ways of transacting land. This paper focuses on the importance of land tenure arrangements and the need to manage information about land and property in support of land markets and sustainable development.