Between 2009 and 2013, Rwanda undertook an extraordinary effort to map and register more than 11 million land parcels nationwide, bringing formal land rights to millions of people. 

However, land registration is not a one-time exercise. Boundaries change, land is inherited and transferred, and records can become incomplete or not reflect realities on the ground. In Kirehe, Kayonza, and Nyagatare districts, nearly one in five surveyed farmers reported land boundary disputes, while Rwanda’s National Land Authority (NLA) estimated that roughly 80,000 parcels were missing ownership information. 

To address these gaps, the NLA partnered with Landesa and Cadasta to correct boundary errors, complete ownership information, and close the gap between community knowledge and Rwanda’s national land administration system. 

Residents walk parcel boundaries alongside trained data collectors, land committees, and local leaders, identifying boundaries, disputed plots, inheritance histories, and long-standing local agreements. That local knowledge is paired with modern technology. Cadasta provides technical assistance to field teams and once community land committees verify information, it enters Rwanda’s Land Administration Information System for final verification and land title issuance. 

The result is more than accurate cadastral maps. By bringing field-based mapping and e-title issuance closer to communities, the project is making land services faster, less costly, and more accessible, while reducing the need for repeated trips to government offices or private surveyors. At the same time, GIS-accurate boundaries and verified ownership records give district authorities more reliable data for planning infrastructure, agricultural programs, and other public investments, while creating a more transparent workflow from the field to the national registry.

For communities, clearer boundaries and stronger documentation can also help resolve disputes locally, improve access to services that require formal land documentation, and give farmers greater confidence to invest in their land over the long term. 

Explore the full StoryMap to see how communities, governments, and partners are combining local knowledge and technology to strengthen land rights and build a more accurate, inclusive, and resilient land administration system in Rwanda.