Tetra Tech developed an innovative parcel sweep methodology to support massive land formalization efforts, promote licit economic development, and build local institutional capacity.
For decades, civil war in Colombia displaced millions of people from their homes and land. Rural communities were significantly affected by the conflict. As much as 60 percent of Colombia’s rural population, representing 6.8 million people and more than two million parcels of land, suffered from insecure land rights. After the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed peace accords in 2016, integral rural reform became a major goal for the country’s development. In a nation with a high rate of informal land tenure and displacement, clear land tenure and secured property rights are vital for rural transformation and agricultural development.
Benefits
- 10,508 land titles delivered to households
- 40,031 title cases presented to the National Land Agency for validation
- 37 Municipal Land Offices established to maintain land tenure records
- 5 Rural Land Offices established to maintain land tenure records
- $107.3 million mobilized through public-private partnerships
The Land for Prosperity (LFP) Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), works to address these challenges and build on progress made through prior USAID investments. LFP focuses on advancing land formalization in targeted municipalities using a novel parcel sweep methodology. Tetra Tech is working closely with partners, including local government agencies, private sector actors, and Colombian non-governmental organizations to increase legal land ownership and secure property rights in rural areas. While land formality is the foundational transformation, LFP also integrates additional rural development goals to:
- Support land restitution
- Strengthen local governance and capacity to manage land transactions
- Bolster economic development through strategic public-private partnerships
- Establish the boundaries for the Chiribiquete National Park
- Support illicit crop substitution
LFP aims to foster gender equality and social inclusion in land ownership, thereby building a more equitable, secure land tenure context in Colombia. To achieve this, we are designing activities that focus on empowering women, ethnic minorities, youth, and other vulnerable groups across the conflict-affected regions of Southern Tolima, Montes de María, Meta, Catatumbo, Tumaco, Northern Cauca, and Bajo Cauca.
We are betting that the parcel sweep and improved land administration will generate well-being and equity for our people.
At a glance
Contract value
$115.8M
Client
U.S. Agency for International Development
Implementation period
2019–2025
Services
Land tenure, property rights, land formalization, local capacity building, inclusive economic growth, institutional strengthening, illicit crop substitution
