Assessing the role of volunteered geographic information in enhancing Iraqi land administration systems

Abstract

This thesis explores the use of volunteer geographic information (VGI) as a potential tool to support the land administration systems in the nation of Iraq. It aims to understand how different approaches and characteristics of VGI suit different socio-economic, cultural and topographic contexts in contemporary Iraq. Two main research problems motivated this work. The major practical problem facing land administration systems in many countries, is lack of comprehensive coverage: only 25% of nations (mostly industrial countries, 35-50 in total) have a complete land registration system, and 75% of the world’s land parcels are not currently registered. A second issue is the limited understanding of the efficacy of VGI in supporting land administration under different contexts. The research described here is further motivated by specific experiences in Iraq, where the land administration system has faced many problems since the US-Led Occupation in 2003. After a review of the current state of Iraqi land administration, exemplified by the local system in Al-Hillah, Iraq, empirical research was undertaken with nine communities in defined rural, peri-urban and urban areas of the district. Three different technologies of VGI collection (smartphone GPS, iPad, and analogue maps) were tested, after selection and training of a total of 105 volunteers collecting this and supplementary land administration data. Questionnaire surveys, observation of data collection practice and interviews with individuals, community leaders and professionals were also used. The results confirm the difficulties of current land administration in Iraq and public perception of these. They also extend previous knowledge of VGI, deriving information about its spatial accuracy, completeness, currency and value in a number of ways. Conclusions are presented which emphasise the need for a range of methods and approaches, highlighting which methods of VGI data handling work for different communities and individuals. It is suggested that low tech methods may be more accurate and more acceptable in some situations. The work has demonstrated that VGI can bring valuable, accurate and fit-for-purpose data to support formal systems