In the Press
Read all the latest of Cadasta’s press features, mentions, quotes, and opinion pieces to learn more about our work, partners, and impact.
2025
Mapping More than Land: Advancing Land Rights Through GIS
Esri ArcNews Magazine
The article, “Mapping More Than Land: Advancing Land Rights Through GIS,” highlights how our GIS-based tools are being used by communities around the world to document land and resource rights—laying the foundation for climate resilience, improved livelihoods, and greater equity. From Belize to Uganda, the piece explores how technology and trusted partnerships are driving meaningful impact on the ground. Read more.
Uganda’s Hidden Collateral: Bringing Customary Land Titles into the Financial Mainstream
Insight Post Uganda
A recent article by Christopher Burke, Uganda’s Hidden Collateral: Bringing Customary Land Titles into the Financial Mainstream, explores an important challenge: despite their legal standing, Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) are still not widely recognized by banks and microfinance institutions as acceptable collateral for loans. Formal documentation of land rights and have been issued to tens of thousands of households, however, without access to credit, they often struggle to invest in agriculture, start small businesses, or weather economic shocks. Cadasta and its partners are featured, noting their work to narrow the gap between CCOs and economic opportunity. Read more.
Land Rights and Equitable Climate Finance: Missing Strategies in Corporate Sustainability
Sustainability X Magazine
In her op-ed, Cadasta CEO and President Amy Coughenour Betancourt highlights the critical, yet often overlooked, link between secure land tenure and effective climate action. Drawing on global examples and data, the article underscores how insecure land rights hinder Indigenous and local communities from fully contributing to climate resilience and mitigation. The op-ed calls for businesses to adopt proactive policies, ensure equitable climate finance, and invest in community-led initiatives to create a sustainable future where Indigenous Peoples play a central role in safeguarding biodiversity and combating climate change.
Empowering Communities Through Geospatial Technology
Geospatial World
In an interview with Geospatial World, Amy Coughenour Betancourt, President and CEO of Cadasta, discusses how Cadasta leverages geospatial technology to empower communities, enhance transparency, and drive sustainable development. She highlights the organization’s commitment to strengthening land and resource rights, promoting women’s land ownership, and fostering climate resilience through data-driven solutions.
Scaling Global Land Rights through Geospatial Innovation
GIM International
In an interview with GIM International, Cadasta CEO Amy Coughenour Betancourt discusses how geospatial technology is revolutionizing land rights documentation, impacting over 7 million individuals across 7,000 communities. She highlights success stories, such as women in Brazil gaining legal home ownership, and emphasizes the importance of collaborations with governments, NGOs, and communities to address the global land tenure crisis affecting over a billion people.
2024
Biden Administration's Bold Move: Embracing Indigenous Knowledge in Alaska's Oil and Gas Lease Cancellation
BNN
Amidst climate change debates, the Biden Administration has cancelled oil and gas leases in Alaska, recognizing Indigenous Knowledge in decision-making. The Karen people of Myanmar illustrate successful Indigenous land stewardship, serving as a global model for community empowerment and conservation.
Not waiting for the government, Myanmar's Karen people register their own lands
Mongabay
Amidst decades-long armed conflict with Myanmar’s central government, the Indigenous Karen people have taken matters into their own hands by mapping and documenting their ancestral lands in a self-determination effort without seeking government approval. This initiative aims to provide security to villagers through land title certificates, protecting them from land grabs by the government and extractive industries. Collaborating with Cadasta, the Karen people utilize GIS and participatory methods to map over 3.5 million hectares of land, integrating traditional knowledge with modern technology. Despite challenges posed by ongoing conflict and environmental threats, the Karen community remains steadfast in their commitment to securing their land rights and preserving their cultural heritage for future generations.
Empowering Odisha's Tribal Communities
Geospatial World
Cadasta’s innovative partnership with PRADAN is featured in this Geospatial World article. Cadasta is working with local partners to provide Odisha’s tribal communities with technology and tools to map, document, and secure their forest land for Individual forest rights (IFR) and Community Forest Rights (CFR). With these rights, local communities are able to protect their forest resources, conserve biodiversity, and mitigate climate change, ultimately fostering a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Land Governance, Climate Finance And Physical Planning In Africa: Forging A Sustainable Future
NatureNews
In this piece, Cadasta’s Wambayi Wabwire explains how Cadasta’s technology is helping to register customary land rights and empower beneficiaries for sustainable resource management in Uganda. This pioneering initiative preserves biodiversity and traditional knowledge crucial to sustainable natural resource management and reduces encroachment and exploitation.
Securing Land, Securing Futures: Agricultural Productivity, Land Tenure Security and Conflict in Africa
The Farmer’s Journal Africa
The 2024 World Bank Land Conference highlighted the critical role of secure land rights for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Descendant Peoples, and Local Communities in environmental conservation and climate resilience. Initiatives such as Cadasta’s technology, training, and grants are essential to enhance the dynamic relationship between land tenure security, agricultural productivity, and conflict in Africa. These community-led approaches to securing tenure rights are vital for achieving sustainable development in African communities.
Équateur : atelier sur les outils de collecte de données de la cartographie participative
ACP Agence Congolaise de Presse
In June 2024, an Equateur province workshop in Mbandaka focused on participatory mapping data collection tools to enhance local land rights and forest resource management. Organized by the NGO Solidarité pour la Promotion des Femmes Autochtones (Spfa), the event received technical and financial support from Cadasta. This collaboration aimed to establish effective mechanisms for securing local land rights, managing forest resources, and improving land governance systems.
OP-ED: Digital Technologies for Sustainable Land Governance in Africa
PC Tech
In a recent op-ed, Cadasta Foundation’s pivotal role in using digital technologies for sustainable land governance in Africa is highlighted. Cadasta’s initiatives in Nigeria and Uganda have empowered local communities by documenting land tenure and improving the registration of customary land rights, aiding thousands of households. These efforts demonstrate the transformative potential of digital tools in promoting secure land tenure and influencing pro-poor policies.
Securing Land Rights in Busoga: A Path to Empowerment and Development
Insider
Cadasta is playing a key role in advancing land tenure security in Uganda’s Busoga Region by supporting the registration of 25,000 Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCOs) by 2027. The initiative emphasizes gender equality, with 72% of documented parcels owned by women, and demonstrates the impact of collaborative efforts in securing land rights and fostering sustainable development.
How Will EU's Deforestation-free Market Impact Uganda's Cocoa
New Vision
The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will significantly impact Uganda’s cocoa sector by enforcing stringent requirements to ensure deforestation-free products. This could pose challenges for Ugandan farmers, especially smallholders, who may struggle to meet the new standards due to low productivity, financial constraints, and a lack of a dedicated cocoa policy. However, with proper policies, support, and market strategies like cooperatives, Uganda could strengthen its position in the global cocoa market, benefiting thousands of farmers and driving economic growth.
Starting With the State
Stanford Social Innovation Review
Cadasta is highlighted as a key organization working with governments and communities to document land rights, addressing the widespread issue of undocumented rural land in low- and middle-income countries. Our efforts are highlighted for contributing to building functional land registration systems, which are essential for improving land security, encouraging investment, and generating tax revenue. Cadasta helps establish a foundation for sustainable development and poverty alleviation by collaborating with governments.
Roots of Resilience: Importance of Governance in Saving Africa's Forests
New Vision
Cadasta is highlighted for collaborating with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to secure land rights for smallholder farmers in Ghana’s forest fringe communities. This initiative, focused on documenting land rights, plays a critical role in preventing deforestation and promoting sustainable land management, particularly through the integration of digital technologies to strengthen governance and resource protection.
The NGO SPFA strengthens the capacities of its technicians on the digital security of land data
Enviro News
The NGO Solidarité pour la Promotion des Femmes Autochtones (SPFA) has enhanced the digital land data security skills of its technicians through recent training on geospatial tools like ArcGIS and Survey123. This initiative, supported by the Cadasta Foundation, is aimed at improving land governance and securing the land rights of Indigenous communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Strengthening Sub-Saharan Africa: The Critical Nexus of Gender Equality, Climate Resilience and Land Tenure Security
Philanthropy Impact Magazine
In this article, Cadasta’s role is highlighted as pivotal in advancing land tenure security to promote gender equality and climate resilience in the region. By providing accessible technology and training, Cadasta supports local communities, particularly women, to document and secure their land rights. This approach not only enhances economic opportunities but also strengthens community resilience against climate change impacts. Cadasta’s initiatives are presented as integral to fostering sustainable development and social equity in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The SustainabilityX® Magazine Announces 3rd Annual Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards™ Under the Theme "Embrace Boldness"
Cision PRWeb
Cadasta’s CEO, Amy Coughenour Betancourt, has been honored as one of the SustainabilityX® Global 50 Women in Sustainability for 2023. With over 30 years of experience in the social sector, Amy has championed land and resource rights for vulnerable communities worldwide. Under her leadership, Cadasta has empowered over 7 million people across 50 countries through innovative geospatial technology, addressing climate change, poverty, and biodiversity loss.
Exclusive Spotlight: Amy Coughenour Betancourt – Leading Boldly for Sustainable Land Rights and Climate Resilience
The SustainabilityX® Magazine
Cadasta CEO Amy Coughenour Betancourt was featured in a SustainabilityX® Magazine SustXGlobal50 Spotlight, recognizing her leadership in advancing sustainable land rights. In the profile, Amy highlights Cadasta’s innovative use of technology and data to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities in securing their land and resource rights as a critical foundation for climate resilience, economic opportunity, and social equity. The feature celebrates her bold, collaborative approach to driving systemic change and positioning land rights at the center of global sustainability efforts.
2023
Cadasta Foundation Welcomes New Chief Program Officer
Informed Infrastructure
Cadasta Foundation announces the addition of Rudo Kemper to its leadership team as Chief Program Officer. In this role, Kemper will lead the development and implementation of Cadasta’s program strategy to ensure that the organization’s technology and services are accessible, equitable, and impactful for communities living without recognized land rights.
Farmer-Centric Data Governance: Towards a New Paradigm
USAID & Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Agricultural technologies (agtech) can benefit farmers, businesses, consumers, and the environment in low- and middle-income countries. However, companies that control the flow of data to and from farmers are more integrated than ever. In an era where a small number of agtech providers increasingly hold unprecedented control over farmer data, digital agriculture is on a trajectory to evolve in ways that may inhibit farmer opportunity—unless digital agriculture stakeholders take deliberate steps to change the trajectory of data governance in the agtech sector. This report showcases the farmer-centric data governance models and the enabling factors needed for their implementation.
Geospatial Data Empowerment for Achieving SDGs
Geospatial World
Geospatial data has the power to revolutionize decision-making processes by providing valuable insights into social and environmental trends, identifying areas of need, and guiding policy interventions. Cadasta is leading the charge in empowering communities to create and use their own data to secure legal land rights and make community decisions.
Exploring Barriers and Incentives to Digital Solutions in Natural Resource Management
GSMA
Initiatives like Cadasta are leveraging digital tools to help empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities to map and monitor their resources and reclaim their rights.
Mapping Safeguards Indigenous Land and Forests
Geospatial World
Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IP & LCs) collectively manage a staggering 50% of the world’s land and hold 80% of the world’s biodiversity and 22% of the world’s total carbon in forests. Yet, shockingly, only 10% of their lands are legally recognized and protected.
Could Tech and Ancestral Knowledge Save the Amazon?
Cool Earth
Local communities and Indigenous Peoples are constantly under threat from illegal activities involving drug trafficking, mining, and deforestation. As of 2022, in Peru alone, over 150 communities have been affected by environmental crimes stemming from illicit activities. Currently, a project developed by the Cadasta Foundation and Cool Earth provides Indigenous communities access to satellite information and data about their territories.
Indigenous Peoples' Lands Are Threatened by Industrial Development; Conversion Risk Assessment Reveals Need to Support Indigenous Stewardship
One Earth
Indigenous Peoples are custodians of many of the world’s least-exploited natural areas. These places of local and global socio-ecological importance face significant threats from industrial development expansion, but the risk of conversion of these lands remains unclear. Referencing Cadasta’s work, this article combines global datasets of Indigenous Peoples’ lands, their current ecological condition, and future industrial development pressure to assess conversion threats.
Strengthening Local Forest Governance to Restore Forests
Agriculture Extension in South Asia
In this article, PRADAN’s Sailabala Panda explores the interplay between India’s lush forests, its resilient inhabitants, and the urgent need for local governance by delving into the discourse surrounding deforestation, carbon emission, and the delicate balance between sustenance and sustainability based on her field experiences at PRADAN.
Indigenous Rights, Conservation to Headline African Regional Learning Exchange
The Star
Cadasta’s Diana Kyallo emphasized the importance of leveraging technology in advocating for Indigenous People’s rights and conservation at the African Regional Learning Exchange (ARLE). The event, hosted by the International Land Coalition (ILC), the Tenure Facility (TF), and Community Land Action Now (CLAN), brings together stakeholders from various African nations to discuss advancing the rights of indigenous people and local communities while promoting biodiversity conservation. Cadasta’s focus on empowering vulnerable communities through technology to document and secure land and resource rights aligns with the event’s goal of fostering sustainable and equitable outcomes in land stewardship and conservation.
How Technology Can Help Save Indigenous Forests – and Our Planet
Context
Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez and Amy Coughenour Betancourt underscore the pivotal role of technology in Indigenous land conservation, citing successful partnerships in India, the Peruvian Amazon, and Myanmar, and advocate for scaling up these technologies to empower Indigenous communities in reclaiming their rights and combating climate threats.
Bridging the Digital Gap for Indigenous Land and Forest Rights
GeoSpatial World
As world leaders convened at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, the need to address the escalating global climate crisis takes center stage. In this critical moment, we underscore the indispensable role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IP&LCs) in safeguarding our planet’s resources.
2022
Esri Recognizes Partners for Innovation and Excellence
GIS User
Esri, the global leader in geographic information systems (GIS) and location intelligence, honored Cadasta for its outstanding application of GIS software to sustainable development projects during the Plenary session at the Esri Partner Conference (EPC) held at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, CA.
Cadasta Foundation receives Esri’s Sustainable Development Award for Exceptional Achievement
Geospatial World
Cadasta Foundation received the Esri Sustainable Development Award at the 2022 Esri Partner Conference (EPC) held in Palm Springs, California March 5–7, 2022. This award was presented to Cadasta for helping partners meet global sustainable development goals by understanding their needs, mapping their work, measuring impact, analyzing performance, and engaging stakeholders.
Transforming Our Cities by Addressing Gender Deficit in Land Titles in Brazil
Urbanet
Can we transform our cities by addressing the gender insecurity and inadequacy women face? In the northeast state of Pernambuco in Brazil, Cadasta partner Espaço Feminista reflects on lessons learned from fighting for women’s land rights by achieving land regularisation in informal settlements.
Her Land, Her Power: How geospatial tech secures women’s land rights
Geospatial Commission
In this blog, Amy discusses how the lives of women in countries where land ownership goes undocumented or unregistered, are negatively impacted, socially and economically. If gender-equal land ownership is a vital part of achieving gender equality, what can we do to ensure women’s land rights? And what role can geospatial technology play?
Securing Women's Land Rights: It Takes a Village, Appropriate Technology, and Real Investment to Deliver
Geospatial World
As an organization focused on advancing land and resources rights for women and marginalized people through innovative technology and services, Cadasta Foundation applauds the global commitment to ramp up progress on equal rights for women and girls. Yet, we need to ask two important questions: what does it look like in practice for women to gain rights to land, property, and inheritance? And what is needed to make this happen?
Shoring up tenure security to tackle land degradation
Landscape News
At UNCCD COP15, Cadasta’s Diana Kyalo joined scientists and community members to help improve land tenure and shared her experience working with forest-dwelling communities in Kenya’s Mau Forest to map ancestral lands using mobile applications.
Megatrends in Land Administration
Geospatial World
In a session at the Geospatial World Forum in Amsterdam, Amy Coughenour discusses the need for government to collaborate with civil society and communities on land administration projects. Amy cited examples from Brazil where Cadasta’s geospatial technology was used to collect data with the support of local community members, which helped issue 1,400 land titles to women in peri-urban areas in Bonito, Brazil.
Shoring up tenure security to tackle land degradation
Landscape News
At UNCCD COP15, Cadasta’s Diana Kyalo joined scientists and community members to help improve land tenure and shared her experience working with forest-dwelling communities in Kenya’s Mau Forest to map ancestral lands using mobile applications.
Esri Partners Awarded for Outstanding Work
Esri Newsroom
At the 2022 Esri Partner Conference, held in March in Palm Springs, California, Esri acknowledged Cadasta, along with 25 other partners that are doing remarkable work with ArcGIS technology by presenting them with awards in 11 categories. Read on to find out more about the innovative solutions, services, and content that Cadasta and other partners offer.
Technology can be a ‘democratiser’ in land governance
Daily Maverick
Technology has the power to be a democratiser when it comes to land information and governance. Among some indigenous peoples and local communities, it can be used to monitor forest fires and deforestation or to engage in meaningful discussions around the carbon sequestration potential in their forests.
Technology can be a ‘democratiser’ in land governance
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
As authorities struggle to provide certificates of occupancy to Zanzibar’s growing population, a pilot project supported by Cadasta uses drones and digital mapping to offer a more efficient way to provide residents with land titles.
Supporting former refugees in Bangladesh
World Habitat
With support from Cadasta, the Bangladeshi NGO Council of Minorities works to secure the future of the Bihari community through mobilizing residents to develop a community-led organization.
Major International Donors Fund New Cadasta Projects
GIM International
As Cadasta’s work has grown to more than 100 projects worldwide, the foundation has expanded and diversified its funding base to include several large donors in the land sector.
Museveni Gives Out Customary Land Titles to Families in Northern Uganda, West Nile & Karamoja
Chimpreports
At a ceremony in Northern Uganda, the President of Uganda Museveni issued Customary Certificates of Occupancy to 1,537 people. The ceremony is the result of a collaborative partnership between Cadasta, the Government of Uganda, Ujamaa Tribe, the UE, and World Bank.
2021
Did Data Make a Difference? Reviewing the Crises of 2020 with Facebook Data for Good
Direct Relief
In a year beset by crisis like no other, Facebook’s Data for Good Annual Report highlights collaborations with groups like Cadasta to respond to public health and humanitarian challenges around the world.
India's digital IDs for land could exclude poor, indigenous communities
Reuters
Plans by the Indian government to assign digital identification numbers to plots of land could exclude rural and indigenous people who do not hold titles, and further marginalise those without internet access, experts said.
How maps built with Facebook AI can help with COVID-19 vaccine delivery
Facebook AI
As work continues to vaccinate most of the world’s nearly 8 billion people against COVID-19, accurate population maps are urgently needed. This need is especially great in low-income communities, where population data may be poor or out of date. Cadasta’s work with Pamoja Trust is mentioned as an example of how Facebook’s maps are informing the delivery of critical services around the world.
Realizing Women’s Rights to Land and Other Productive Resources
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Women’s rights to land and other productive resources are essential for realizing their rights to equality and to an adequate standard of living, among many other rights. Women’s secure access to land and resources supports their independence and autonomy, provides for their day-to-day needs and those of their families and allows them to weather some of life’s most difficult challenges. Realizing women’s land rights is an integral part of the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
How our technology secured land rights for 5 million people in 5 years
Land Portal
What could happen if we could document, register, and secure the rights of 1 billion tenure-insecure people around the world? That is the question that Cadasta Foundation sought to answer at its founding in 2015 as a global land rights platform harnessing technology and services to advance and resource rights for the most vulnerable. Equipped with powerful technology and a team of experts, our mission is to build a world where even the most marginalized individuals and communities can benefit from the opportunities afforded by secure land and resource rights.
Preview: FIG e-Working Week Headlines
GIM International
WFIG has been bringing surveyors and geospatial experts together since 1878. Apart from the inauguration in 1878 and the second meeting in 1910, surveyors have met almost every single year since 1926: a total of 91 times if we only count the main annual events. This 92nd annual meeting in June 2021 will again bring surveyors together, albeit differently. Thanks to the digital era, you can now attend the first ever FIG e-Working Week.
Cadasta honored for special achievement in GIS
Geospatial World
Esri presented Cadasta Foundation with Esri’s Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) Award on July 12, 2021, at the annual Esri User Conference (Esri UC), which was held virtually. Selected from over 300,000 eligible candidates, Cadasta received the award for its innovative use of mapping and analytics technology, as well as leadership in the land records and cadastral fields.
If More Women Owned Land, More People Might be Fed
Esri Blog
Women, who make up half of the global adult population and 43 percent of the agricultural workforce, account for less than 15 percent of farmland owners.
Using geospatial data to monitor SDG progress, support circular economy
Geospatial World
The SDGs are highly dependent on geospatial information and emerging technologies as they provide the primary data and tools to connect people to their location, place and environment, and measure ‘where’ progress is not being made, especially at local levels. Cadasta’s Amy Coughenour highlights the role of technological innovations to connect at the community level.
This duo incubates early-stage non-profits. Their goal: Bring 1 crore Indians out of poverty by 2025
Forbes India
It takes a village to create a successful, scalable non-profit startup, and Sudha Srinivasan and team at The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation have set out to build an infrastructure that promotes disruptive, differentiated thinking to solve critical social issues, Cadasta’s partnership with Waatavaran is one of them.
Raigad: Environment group launches digital drive to include tribals in district administration
The Free Press Journal
A city-based environment group, Waatavaran Foundation, has launched a digital campaign to support co-existence of tribal communities within forest areas of cities. Called ‘Adivasis for Forests’, the initiative has been launched in association with the Raigad district administration and technical and financial support from US-based Cadasta Foundation, Consulate General of Canada in Mumbai and Vikas Sahyog Pratishthan.
Waatavaran to push FRA in Raigarh with global support
The Times of India
A city-based environment group, Waatavaran Foundation, has launched a digital campaign to support co-existence of tribal communities within forest areas of cities. Called ‘Adivasis for Forests’, the initiative has been launched in association with the Raigad district administration and technical and financial support from US-based Cadasta Foundation, Consulate General of Canada in Mumbai and Vikas Sahyog Pratishthan.
Nairobi: Maps and Data Storytelling Empower Action for the Urban Poor
Esri Blog
Evicted residents of Nairobi’s urban informal settlements use Cadasta’s tools, maps, and data storytelling to protect their right to land and lawful eviction practices.
Liberia Land Authority Launches Community Land Intervention, Monitoring
The Independent Probe Newspaper
With support from Cadasta and the Sweden Mission to Liberia, the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) has launched a community land intervention monitoring and management tool amid reporting information on land conflict in Liberia.
The 8th Asia-Pacific Homes and Housing Conference officially opened with a call to "Building a Better Future" for Greener and Safer Homes
Newswit
The 8th Asia-Pacific Housing Forum ran from 7 to 9 December 2021, serving as a multi-sectoral platform for individuals and organizations like Cadasta to share ideas and expand networks. Access to a safer, more sustainable homes is criticial to the ability of communities to cope with disasters.
Important Step towards Land Ownership for Rural Population in Liberia
GIM International
A Cadasta supported web-based geodata solution has been launched in Liberia to support people’s land ownership rights by improving cooperation between the Liberia Land Authority (LLA) and civil society organizations. Work is underway in the West African country to formalize customary land in order to issue legal deeds for land that the rural population previously owned solely by customary law.
Liberia: CADASTA Foundation, Partners Launch Community Land Intervention Monitoring and Management Tools for Liberia Land Authority
Front Page Africa
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) has benefited from Community Land Intervention Monitoring and Management Tools (CLIMT) launched through its partners, CADASTA, Lantmateriet and the Swedish Mapping. The tool was built to improve LLA’s ability to manage and monitor Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) activity, support donor coordination and transparency and also to enable CSOs to record land intervention using smartphone applications or web-based tools.
54 International NGOs Applaud Administrator Power’s Commitment to Locally-Led Development
Care.org
A group of 54 international NGOs from across the humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding sectors sent a letter to Administrator Samantha Power praising her commitment to direct 25% of U.S. foreign assistance to authentically local, autonomous organizations.
Liberia: Cadasta Foundation, Partners Launch Community Land Intervention Monitoring and Management Tools for Liberia Land Authority
allAfrica
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) has benefited from Community Land Intervention Monitoring and Management Tools (CLIMT) launched through its partners, CADASTA, Lantmateriet and the Swedish Mapping. The tool was built to improve LLA’s ability to manage and monitor Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) activity, support donor coordination and transparency and also to enable CSOs to record land intervention using smartphone applications or web-based tools.
2020
Cadasta Foundation Welcomes New Director of GIS and Technology Chuck Conley
Informed Infastructure
[Feature] Cadasta Foundation is pleased to welcome Chuck Conley as its new Director of GIS and Technology. In this role, Chuck will serve as Cadasta’s technology solution lead and will work alongside senior leadership to lead, analyze, develop, and implement innovative technical strategies to document the land and resource rights of vulnerable communities.
Geospatial World Forum 2020 to highlight the value of geospatial technology in digital economy in the 5G Era
Directions Magazine
[Mention] The Geospatial World Forum 2020 will bring together geospatial professionals and leaders, including Cadasta’s CEO Amy Coughenour, representing the entire eco-system of public policies, national mapping agencies, private sector enterprises, multilateral and development organizations, scientific and academic institutions, and above all, large end users from government, businesses and citizen services at the Taets Art and Event Park, Amsterdam.
OPINION: Behind high-rise buildings and skyscrapers hides poverty and inequality in urban Angola
Directions Magazine
[Opinion] Will skyscrapers one day represent the prosperity that every Angolan citizen has dreamed about? This is the question Cadasta’s Antonio Inguane poses. Achieving that goal requires stronger political will and more government commitment to implementing bold governance and economic reforms that are centred on people’s best interests.
Land Administration: Configure, Please…
GIM International
[Mention/ Quote] Having worked in land administration for many years, Esri’s Brent Jones has seen all types of projects succeed and fail. Although there is no golden ticket to success, in this column Brent describes how we can increase our chances of success by learning from these failures, using Cadasta’s transition to an Esri-supported platform as an example.
GWF 2020 to highlight the value of geospatial technology in digital economy in 5G era
GeoSpatial World
[Mention] The Geospatial World Forum 2020 will bring together geospatial professionals and leaders, including Cadasta’s CEO Amy Coughenour, representing the entire eco-system of public policies, national mapping agencies, private sector enterprises, multilateral and development organizations, scientific and academic institutions, and above all, large end users from government, businesses and citizen services at the Taets Art and Event Park, Amsterdam.
Behind High-Rise Buildings and Skyscrapers Hides Poverty and Inequality in Urban Angola
Land Portal
[Opinion] Will skyscrapers one day represent the prosperity that every Angolan citizen has dreamed about? This is the question Cadasta’s Antonio Inguane poses. Achieving that goal requires stronger political will and more government commitment to implementing bold governance and economic reforms that are centred on people’s best interests.
India's poor risk loss of privacy, land in drive to digitise records
Thomas Reuters Foundation
Cadasta’s Amy Coughenour weighs in on the risks and benefits of land records digitization.
OPINION: Domestic violence survivors battle tenure insecurity in Brazil
Thomas Reuters Foundation
Millions of women across the world, particularly those who are poor and have few economic opportunities, struggle to secure their right to land, says Cadasta’s Antonio Inguane.
PRESS RELEASE: Three African Organizations Receive Cadasta’s Inaugural Data Accelerator Grants to Advance Land Rights
Land Portal
The first round of Cadasta Foundation’s Data Accelerator Grant(link is external) has been released to three African organizations to advance land rights and tenure security for vulnerable populations.
Cadasta Foundation signs NGO Climate Compact with commitments toward Environmental Action and Sustainability
Geospatial World
Cadasta Foundation is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day by signing onto Interaction Forum’s NGO Climate Compact: Commitments Toward Environmental Action and Sustainability.
How Geospatial Surveying Is Driving Land Administration
GIM International
GIM International provides a major update on the geospatial industry, paying special attention to standardization, technical approaches, and land data acquisition in the context of global policies. The article highlights Cadasta as a solution that supports community participation.
Cadasta Foundation to Advance Small-scale Farmer Rights in Argentina’s Chaco Region
Geospatial World
Cadasta Foundation and Fundapaz are pleased to announce the signing of a Partnership Agreement to mutually support and advocate for improved community access to land and natural resources in Northern Argentina.
OPINION: Reimagining resilient food systems for food security post-COVID and beyond
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
In her oped, Cadasta’s CEO Amy Coughenour Betancourt explains why women’s land rights are at the heart of a reimagined food system to withstand the ravages of disasters and pandemic.
World Environment Day: Reflections on land, youth and sustainable agriculture
YILaA
In June our international community celebrated World Environment Day 2020. To mark the occasion, YILaA interviewed Cadasta CEO Amy Coughenour Betancourt to discuss key issues related to land rights and how it relates to youth empowerment, environmental conservation, and the development of sustainable agriculture. This article summarizes some of the main points discussed with Amy as well as her recommendations for the international community for improved land management practices in Africa, a mission shared by YILaA and Cadasta Foundation.
Cadasta and Waatavaran partner to empower forest dwellers with land rights
Geospatial World
Using Cadasta’s Esri-based platform—with its accessible satellite imagery, mobile tools, and digital maps—the project began data collection last month and aims to document 2,000 households, representing approximately 12,000 citizens.
Announcing a joint campaign to protect the land rights of tribal communities
Lokmat
Cadasta Foundation and Waatavaran have announced a joint campaign to protect the land rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Western India.
Cadasta Foundation, Waatavaran to secure forest rights under FRA
Times of India
Cadasta Foundation and Waatavaran have joined hands to secure the land claims of scheduled caste and tribal communities in Western India.
Leveraging technology to lower the cost of credit to small scale farmers in Uganda
Business News
By using tools like Cadasta’s Platform to document land and property, banks can get a clearer picture of their customers to make more informed decisions and reduce the risks associated with lending to facilitate agricultural development.
Community-led development in former refugee camp reaches next phase
World Habitat
The second phase of a ground-breaking project to establish community-led development in a former refugee camp has begun in Bangladesh, using Cadasta tools. The project – which is co-funded by World Habitat – aims to secure the land in two ‘pilot’ camps, where over 6,600 Bihari families live.
The quest for secure property rights in Africa
The Economist
Despite a flurry of attempts made in the last two decades to map and parcel land in the developing world, the potential of property rights remains largely unrealized, especially in Africa. This Economist article examines the history, successes, and challenges of property rights projects in Africa with a special mention of Cadasta.
Preserve nature or survive: Amazon farmers’ COVID-19 dilemma
World News Monitor
Cadasta Program Specialist Antonio Inguane explains how the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted small-scale farmers’ entire supply chains, pushing many farmers into deforestation and illegal mining.
Cadasta Launches New Training and Support Center to Support the Global Documentation of Land and Resource Rights
Geospatial PR
Cadasta launched a new Training and Support Center to support its global partners in their work to document and secure land and property rights. The Cadasta Training and Support Center allows partners to more easily and efficiently access free, online knowledge resources. The Center combines all of Cadasta’s training materials, instructional guides, and support request items into a single location.
Edith Brown Weiss as a Pathfinder: Strengthening Property Rights and Community-Based Resource Governance for Indigenous Peoples Worldwide
Georgetown Environmental Law Review
Cadasta is thrilled to have been featured in the latest edition of the Georgetown University Environmental Law Review. The article highlights how Cadasta’s technology and participatory, bottom-up approach to land documentation and mapping are advancing land rights for Indigenous and community lands.
2019
Puerto Rico’s reconstruction will be costly. Documenting residents’ property doesn’t have to be.
Miami Herald
Puerto Rico’s reconstruction will be costly. Documenting residents’ property doesn’t have to be. Recent advancements in technology, like those offered by Cadasta, can help reduce the cost and time of land and property rights documentation.
How One Million People in India’s Odisha Slums Gain Land Rights
Esri Newsroom
Under an ambitious government program, one million residents of informal settlements in Odisha state, India received formal certificates of occupancy to their land and homes. Learn how Cadasta’s tools supported the initiative and helped provide a sense of security and permanence to the settlements residents.
Leveraging Geospatial Tools and Technology to Document the Land Rights of Vulnerable Communities
Geoawesomeness
Cadasta’s Product Manager Asaf Even-Paz explains why everyone deserves to be recognized and have their rights documented, especially when it comes to the land they live and work on.
Cadasta Foundation launches new platform and strategy to put land rights on the map
GeoSpatial World
Cadasta Foundation will launch its new mobile technology and strategy on the sidelines of the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference. The first version of the Cadasta platform successfully documented and strengthened the land, property and resource rights of over one million vulnerable people living in both rural and urban communities in 17 countries.
Helping transform slums into liveable habitats, bit by bit
The Hindu
In a first of its kind initiative, Tata Trusts is pioneering a project which is set to become a model for rejuvenation of life in slums.
New platform and strategy for land rights
ee publishers
Cadasta Foundation announced the launch of its new mobile technology and strategy on the sidelines of the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in Washington, DC.
New mobile technologies helping over one million people to obtain rights to their land
aptantech
At the 2019 World Bank Land and Poverty Conference, Cadasta revealed dramatic findings concerning the impact of new mobile technologies that are helping more than one million of the world’s most vulnerable people obtain rights to their land in urban slums and rural regions in 17 countries, while creating a model for addressing some of the most intractable obstacles to access to government services and sustainable livelihoods in poor countries.
The Development Challenge You’re Overlooking: Seven Things You Need to Know About Land Rights
Next Billion
The lack of property rights is a persistent obstacle to social cohesion, financial inclusion and economic growth. That’s why organizations like Cadasta are taking an alternative approach to documenting land rights.
India’s pastoralists urged to use technology to protect rights
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Herders around the world are coming under pressure from governments and farmers to settle down and stop their livestock roaming. Cadasta’s Amy Coughenour explains how mapping technologies like Cadasta’s can help preserve their traditions & livelihoods, manage the challenges & reduce conflicts.
How One Million People in India’s Odisha Slums Gain Land Rights
Esri Newsroom
Under an ambitious government program, one million residents of informal settlements in Odisha state, India received formal certificates of occupancy to their land and homes. Learn how Cadasta’s tools supported the initiative and helped provide a sense of security and permanence to the settlements residents.
Visible or invisible? That’s the question for land data
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Visible or invisible? That’s the question for land data Cadasta’s Frank Pichel says that while collecting data and opening up access to it can lead to greater efficiency in land administration, increased prosperity, and greater accountability, communities must also be able to assess the potential risks. Community feedback – and consent – is essential to determining what data on land should be open.
Drones to undertake India’s ‘biggest’ land survey exercise
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Dozens of drones mounted with high-resolution cameras will aim to map and deliver land rights to about 15 million rural households in Maharashtra. Cadasta’s CEO Amy Coughenour weighs in on the need for governments to accept community-led data collection methods to fill the data gap.
Cadasta Foundation Launches New Platform and Strategy to Put Land Rights on the Map
Omidyar Network
Cadasta Foundation announced the launch of its new mobile technology and strategy on the sidelines of the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in Washington, DC.
Using Geodata to Secure Land Tenure
Geospatial World Magazine
In her article, Cadasta CEO Amy Coughenour explains how Cadasta’s use of geospatial technology helps communities and their stakeholders make better decisions.
Chicoco Maps Our Cities
Revue XYZ
480,000 people live on the waterfront in Port Harcourt, Nigeria and face the threat of demolition by the government. Forced evictions and demolitions in 2009 by security forces led to relocations and death of community members. No plans exist to compensate or relocate residents of informal settlements and the mass demolition of these neighborhoods is impractical. Cadasta’s Anne Girardin discusses how these communities move from evictions to partnership-based development?
Why We Continue to Support Cadasta Foundation
Omidyar Network
In today’s rapidly advancing world, technology and human ingenuity are improving lives across the globe. However, millions of people are being left behind by lack of access to these innovations and the benefits they create. That’s why Omidyar Network continues to support Cadasta Foundation as we embark on our next phase, harnessing technology and data to create more equitable opportunity for all.
Secure Land Rights is the Path to End Global Poverty
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
Having a title, deed or lease is the key that turns informal occupants into citizens, yet 70% of the world’s population lives without documented property rights. In his oped, Esri’s founder and president Jack Dangermond explains why secure land rights is the path to end global poverty.
Without Property Rights, Prosperity is Built on a Shaky Foundation
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Cadasta’s CEO Amy Coughenour discusses how a recent trip to India underscored how having a secure place to call home and a legal address serves as a foundation for a lot of our economic and social activity–getting a job, enrolling in school, opening a bank account, getting medical care, and almost every area of daily life. Our homes and properties are linked to our ability to prosper, and we often take that for granted.
Consultancy to use tech to map land tenures
The New Indian Express
The Center for Land Governance is planning to launch a pilot project on a range of technologies to map land tenures like individual forest rights, community forest rights and common lands.The pilot project would be launched in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in a joint initiative by the NRMC, Foundation for Ecological Security, and Cadasta Foundation.
Getting land rights on the map — a stable foundation for sustainable communities
A Better World
Land and property rights are not usually listed among the top priorities for human rights or development goals—but they should be. Having a secure place to call home, without fear of expulsion, is a basic human right. That’s why Cadasta is working to make it easier and more affordable to document land and resource rights.
GIS for SDGs: 'See things that were impossible to see,' Esri founder says
Devex
Cadasta Foundation announced the launch of its new mobile technology and strategy on the sidelines of the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference in Washington, DC.
Let data drive urban planning in Mozambique
Place
Mozambique is struggling to address challenges from migration to population growth and inadequate urban planning. Tools like Cadasta can help city planners deliver innovative urban governance solutions.
Opportunities for female land surveyors in emerging economies
Coordinates Magazine
Cadasta’s Anne Girardin and Madaleine Weber highlight how we can learn and accomplish a great deal when female land intermediaries work hand-in-hand with chartered surveyors.
Omidyar network targets $350 million investment in 5 years
Hindu Business Line
Omidyar Network India aims to invest $350 million over the next five years through both equity investments as well as grants.
Should open-source software be the gold standard for nonprofits?
Devex
[ Open-source software has become the default choice for many nonprofits, but it doesn’t always add as much value as many think. Cadasta’s CEO Amy Coughenour weighs in on the topic by discussing Cadasta’s transition from open-source software to an Esri supported platform.
Hi-tech mapping has good intentions for land rights but can backfire
All Africa
Cadasta’s Katie Pickett weighs in on how new technologies used to map areas in developing nations for granting titles and aiding development could be misused to further marginalize vulnerable people.
Cadasta Foundation Launches New Global Land Rights Challenge Fund to Secure Land and Resource Rights
Geospatial World
Cadasta Foundation has launched its new Global Land Rights Challenge Fund to help partners better leverage Cadasta’s innovative tools and services to document land and resource rights worldwide.
Gentrification and involuntary displacement: The nightmare for Africa's urban poor
THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION
Growing socio-economic segregation in housing and urban space is leading to harmful disparities in African cities.
Civic engagement, innovation needed in disaster-recovery and reconstruction process
Devex
Cadasta’s Programs Specialist Antonio Inguane explains that although there is a call for a global consciousness about climate change, there is also a need for broader country-level civil engagement in post-disaster relief and recovery processes.
2018
Reuters
Source (Publican Name)
What do land rights have to do with building the investment case for sustainable landscapes? According to Chief Program Officer Frank Pichel, a great deal.
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Source (Publican Name)
Frank Pichel discusses the dire need to improve women’s land rights and rights to inherit property around the world.m
GIM International
Source (Publican Name)
GIM International discusses ingenuitive new methods in land administration and the best tools for building cadastres and creating sustainable records of land ownership.
Landscape News
Source (Publican Name)
What do land rights have to do with building the investment case for sustainable landscapes? According to Chief Program Officer Frank Pichel, a great deal.
GIM International
Source (Publican Name)
The use of community participation, mobile technologies and cloud storage services could create a new way of undertaking land administration activities, and ultimately lead to more secure land rights for all.
Global Landscapes Forum
Source (Publican Name)
Experts from finance, research and policy all cite land tenure as the biggest perceived risk in a new USAID study.
Devex
Source (Publican Name)
Amy Coughenour Betancourt and Justine Uvuza discuss the need to recognize the critical role women play in feeding their families and our planet.
Odisha TV
Source (Publican Name)
There is a growing body of knowledge that proves that land ownership is crucial for women to lead a dignified life. In this article, the author argues that it is time to change the way we look at women’s land rights.
Kadaster Abroad
Source (Publican Name)
Cadasta was featured in the latest edition of the Kadaster International Abroad Newsletter for our fit-for-purpose tools that allow partners to collect data quickly based on their specific needs.
Cadasta Blog
Source (Publican Name)
Since our founding, Cadasta’s goal has been to provide our partners with simple and affordable technology, training, and technical assistance to document, map, and store property, land, and resource rights data. By partnering with Esri, Cadasta will be able to provide more robust, scalable, and flexible services to our partners. See our blog for more on how this partnership will improve our ability to support our partners and the documentation of land and resource rights.
Cadasta Blog
Source (Publican Name)
For Cadasta, bridging the gap between those with formally recognized land rights and the vast majority without, is our call to action. In her blog, Cadasta’s new CEO Amy Coughenour shares her ideas for growing Cadasta’s potential to advance land rights for the world’s most marginalized people.
2017
Open Technology for Land Rights Documentation
opensource.com
One-third of people on the planet don’t have documented rights to the land on which they rely. New technologies can make it easier than ever to document land and resource rights.
Cadasta: Mapping Land Rights from the Bottom Up
xyHt
Cadasta helps put people on the map with a cloud-based platform for land-ownership data.
A Mobile Application to Secure Land Tenure
New America
Data collection apps make cheap, crowdsourced data collection more feasible than ever—but how does that translate to developing countries?
Innovative Tools for Tenure Recordation
GIM International
Cadasta and other organizations continue to integrate new and innovative methods in their drive to document property ownership around the world.
Securing Land Rights in Africa
Project Syndicate
Across the continent, insecure rights to land are robbing millions of financial stability and long-term prosperity. While new technology is giving people the tools to define what’s theirs, governments must recognize that certainty of ownership is a prerequisite of sustainable development.
Africa: This Land is NOT for Sale
All Africa
Want to sell your property in a developed economy? Put up a for sale sign. Want to keep your property in an emerging economy? Put up a NOT for sale sign.
Four Bottom-up Solutions to Strengthen Land Rights in Emerging Markets
Next Billion
Although governments are beginning to invest in improved land information and administration, several organizations are already working from the ground up to address the paucity of land rights around the world.
Digital Technologies for Resilience Workshop
e-Agriculture
Cadasta participated in the Digital Technologies for Resilience Workshop in Bangkok.
Democracy That Delivers #95: Cadasta’s Frank Pichel Explains How Land Rights Impact Modern Economies
Paperblog
Cadasta Foundation Interim CEO Frank Pichel discusses the importance of land rights on a Center for International Private Enterprise episode of the podcast “Democracy That Delivers.
Apps for Land Administration
GIM International
The use of community participation, mobile technologies and cloud storage services could create a new way of undertaking land administration activities, and ultimately lead to more secure land rights for all.
2016
Using Fintech to Forge a More Transparent World
Forest News
Technological innovations like blockchains are opening up new frontiers – for land rights, supply chain governance and more.
Getting to Sustainable Palm Oil: A Hardware and Software Approach to a Market Problem
New Security Beat
Embracing innovative technology is essential for the palm oil industry to reverse its destructive impact and adopt rigorous sustainable sourcing standards.
How Accessible and Reliable Is Your National Government’s Data?
GIM International
You can join others from around the world in grading how your government makes data available through the Open Knowledge International Global Open Data Index survey.
2015
Bitcoin Technology for Land Administration?
Devex
Over the last year, Bitcoin has enjoyed significant news coverage, but does it have the potential to improve transparency in the context of land transaction records?