Land Titling

Abstract

Land titling involves the transfer of real property rights over a certain portion of land, accredited through a public document that entitles the owner(s) to exclude others from their use and usufruct. Of the multiple available forms of land tenure, public policies have predominantly conceived the transfer of individual land titles as the most effective way to ensure the security of land tenure for its beneficiaries. In addition, since the 1990s, ensuring real property rights, developing markets, and enhancing credit access have consistently been part of the policy prescriptions within the poverty reduction agenda of development and international lending agencies. However, multiple controversies have surrounded land titling policies. There is a growing international consensus which questions the paradigm of transferring individual land titles as being the most effective mechanism to provide secure land tenure.