Land Administration: Concepts & Issues

Land is the ultimate resource for livelihoods and survival in the developing world. It hosts vital resources that can be exploited to achieve economic growth and wealth. It is also a legal entity on which bundles of rights are defined so as to govern human behaviour with it. In general terms it is the surface of the Earth the soils and the rocks beneath it the air above and all things fixed to the soil. It is the source of all material wealth available for humans. Land is finite within national jurisdictions and as populations grow it remains the same. In the context of climate change land may be downgraded and less fertile and more expensive to manage. In this stands the cardinal role for land regulation through a land administration system that is built on principles of good governance.