Tanzania builds national land database to centralise records and cut disputes
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Tanzania is developing a National Land Data Infrastructure to centralise land records, with land boards and valuers directed to speed up the digitisation of their services.
Tanzania's Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Kaspar Mmuya, outlined the National Land Data Infrastructure (NLDI) project during a visit to its offices in Dodoma to inspect implementation progress.
The database will serve as the hub for core land information and allow stakeholders to obtain geographic data for different uses through a dedicated platform being developed under the project. On completion it is expected to give Tanzania modern aerial imagery and accurate information on different areas, replacing some of the outdated data currently in use.
The system is intended to reduce land disputes arising from differing interpretations of boundaries, overlapping land uses and conflicting ownership claims by making official information available from the relevant authorities. Mmuya said the Ministry of Lands must be the custodian of land information in the country and instructed the experts implementing the project to develop a robust system that protects land data scientifically and digitally.
The government said it will continue investing in modern technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles, to collect accurate land data and strengthen the planning and management of land resources. On September 8, Mmuya directed the Valuers Registration Board and the Town Planners Registration Board to accelerate adoption of digital systems to increase the speed and efficiency of their work and improve public access to services.
The NLDI builds on Tanzania's efforts since the mid-2010s to centralise and digitise land information. Under the World Bank-backed Land Tenure Improvement Project the country established the National Integrated Land Management Information System and a modern geodetic reference infrastructure, while the Ministry of Lands also runs the e-Ardhi digital land administration platform.