MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION TO LAND ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

I. MODULE OVERVIEW

The purpose of this module is to provide an overview of the basic framework, principles, and
components of land administration. Its primary goal is to make land administration ideas more
understandable so that students may comprehend the fundamentals.

All countries require coherent land governance and land administration to manage
sustainable life on earth, that is, the interaction among humans, and between humans and the
natural and built environment [1].

II. MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the module, students must be able to:
 Understand the Concept of Land Administration and Management
 Definition of Land, its Characteristics and Different Types.
 Man to Land Relationship
 Definition and Components of Land Administration
 Land Management
 Discuss the Difference Between Land Management and Land Governance
 Know the Global Perspective about Land Administration and Management

III. DISCUSSION
 WHAT IS LAND?

Land is not just physical; it also has cognitive aspects. Cognitive means how you think
and reason about something. It includes how you come to understand it and form beliefs and
attitudes about it. The physical may be the ground, buildings and resources — what some
people first associate with land when they think about it — whereas the cognitive may
involve deeper emotional, spiritual, communal ties to land[1].

 Land has physical elements and is the basis of the environmental sphere of the universe[1].
 Land has connotations of spirituality to some[1].
 Land has different values according to use, users and concepts of value and systems of
production[1].
 Land is involved in chains of economic activity[1].
 Land is involved in how social groups form social bonds and maintain kinship
networks[1].
 Land is a major element of property, whether or not it is viewed as a commodity that can
be freely bought and sold[1].
 The distribution of land and land uses is a major indicator of wealth and poverty[1].
 CHARACTERISTICS OF LAND
Land possesses the following characteristics[2]:

1. Free Gift of Nature: Man has to make efforts in order to acquire other factors of
production. But to acquire land no human efforts are needed. Land is not the outcome
of human labour. Rather, it existed even long before the evolution of man[2].
2. Fixed Quantity: The total quantity of land does not undergo any change. It is limited
and cannot be increased or decreased with human efforts. No alteration can be made
in the surface area of land[2].
3. Land is Permanent: All man-made things are perishable and these may even go out
of existence. But land is indestructible. Thus it cannot go out of existence. It is not
destructible[2].
4. Land is a Primary Factor of Production: In any kind of production process, we
have to start with land. For example, in industries, it helps to provide raw materials,
and in agriculture, crops are produced on land[2].
5. Land is a Passive Factor of Production: This is because it cannot produce anything
by itself. For example, wheat cannot grow on a piece of land automatically. To grow
wheat, man has to cultivate land. Labour is an active factor but land is a passive factor
of production[2].
6. Land is Immovable: It cannot be transported from one place to another. For
instance, no portion of India’s surface can be transported to some other country[2].
7. Land has some Original Indestructible Powers: There are some original and
indestructible powers of land, which a man cannot destroy. Its fertility may be varied
but it cannot be destroyed completely[2].
8. Land Differs in Fertility: Fertility of land differs on different pieces of land. One
piece of land may produce more and the other less[2].
9. Supply of Land is Inelastic: The demand for a particular commodity makes way for
the supply of that commodity, but the supply of land cannot be increased or decreased
according to its demand[2].
10. Land has Many Uses: We can make use of land in many ways. On land, cultivation
can be done, factories can be set up, roads can be constructed, buildings can be raised
and shipping is possible in the sea and big rivers[2].
 TYPES OF LAND?
 FOREST LAND – It is land at least 10% stocked by forest trees of any size, or
formerly having had such tree cover, and not currently developed for non-forest use.
The minimum area for classification of forest land is one acre[3].
 TIMBER LAND – It is "forest land" that is producing, or is capable of producing,
more than 20 cubic feet per acre per year of industrial wood crops under natural
conditions, that is not withdrawn from timber utilization, and that is not associated
with urban or rural development[3].
 MINERAL LAND - it means any area where mineral resources are found[3].
 ANCESTRAL LAND - It refers to all lands exclusively and actually possessed,
occupied, or utilized by indigenous cultural communities by themselves or through
their ancestors in accordance with their customs and traditions since time
immemorial, and as may be defined and delineated by law[3].
 GRAZING LAND, PASTURELAND, OR RANGELAND - Grazing lands
includes woodlands, native pastures, and croplands producing forages. Rangelands
are those lands on which the native vegetation (climax or natural potential plant
community) is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs suitable for
grazing or browsing use. Rangelands include natural grassland, savannas, many
wetlands, some deserts, tundra, and certain forb and shrub communities. Pastures are
those lands that are primarily used for the production of adapted, domesticated forage
plants for livestock[3].
 ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE LAND - It refers to those lands of the public
domain which have been the subject of the present system of classification and
declared as not needed for forest, mineral purposes or national parks[3].
 ARABLE LAND – It includes land under temporary crops such as cereals,
temporary meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens,
and land temporarily fallow[3].
 AGRICULTURAL LAND – It is defined as the land area that is either arable, under
permanent crops, or under permanent pastures[3].
 MARGINAL LAND – It is land that has little or no agricultural or industrial value.
Marginal land has little potential for profit and often has poor soil or other
undesirable characteristics[3].
 INDUSTRIAL LAND – It shall refer to public lands within the zone established by
local governments for the manufacture and production of large quantities of goods
and commodities[3].
 MAN TO LAND RELATIONSHIP
Man ―> Property Rights, Property Restriction and Property Responsibility ―> Land
o PROPERTY RIGHTS – Property is not only an economic asset, however;
secure property rights also provide a sense of identity and belonging that
goes far beyond and underpins the values of democracy and human
freedom that surpasses their economic value. Historically, land rights evolved to
give incentives for maintaining soil fertility, making land related investments,
and managing natural resources sustainably. Therefore, property rights are
normally managed well in modern economies[4].
o PROPERTY RESTRICTIONS - Land use planning and restrictions are
becoming increasingly important as a means to ensure effective management of
land use, provide infrastructure and services, protect and improve the urban and
rural environments, prevent pollution, and pursue sustainable development[4].
o PROPERTY RESPONSIBILITIES – it is culturally based and relate to a more
social, ethical commitment where individuals and others are supposed to treat
land and property in a way that conforms to cultural traditions and ethical
behavior[4].

 WHAT IS LAND ADMINISTRATION

The term Land Administration (LA) was coined in 1993 by the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in its Land Administration Guidelines.
These guidelines define land administration as[5].:
“the process of determining, recording and disseminating information about
ownership, value and use of land and its associated resources. These processes include
the determination (sometimes called ´adjudication´) of land rights and other attributes,
surveying and describing these, their detailed documentation, and the provision of
relevant information for supporting land markets” [5].

The processes of land administration include:

Transfer of rights in land from one party to another through sale, lease, loan, gift and
inheritance[6].

 Regulating of land and property development[6];

 Use and conservation of the land[6];
 Gathering of revenues from the land through sales, leasing, and taxation; and[6]
 Resolving of conflicts concerning the ownership and the use of land[6].
 COMPONENT OF LAND ADMINISTATION
o JURIDICAL COMPONENT - emphasis on the holding and registration of
rights in land[6].
o FISCAL COMPONENT - economic utility of land[6].
o REGULATORY COMPONENT - concerned with development and use of
land[6].

 WHAT IS LAND MANAGEMENT?

Land management is the process by which the resources of land are put to good
effect. It covers all activities concerned with the management of land as a resource both
from an environmental and from an economic perspective. It can include farming,
mineral extraction, property and estate management, and the physical planning of towns
and the countryside[7].
It embraces such matters as:
- Property conveyancing, including decisions on mortgages and investment[7];
- Property assessment and valuation[7];
- The development and management of utilities and services[7];
- The management of land resources such as forestry, soils, or agriculture[7];
- The formation and implementation of land-use policies[7];
- Environmental impact assessment; and[7]
- The monitoring of all activities on land that affect the best use of that land[7].

 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND GOVERNANCE

Land management is the process of managing the use and development (in both
urban and rural settings) of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of
purposes which may include organic agriculture, reforestation, water resource
management and eco-tourism projects. Land management can have positive or negative
effects on the terrestrial ecosystems. Land being over- or misused can degrade and reduce
productivity and disrupt natural equilibriums[8].
Land governance concerns the rules, processes and structures through which
decisions are made about access to land and its use, the manner in which the decisions are
implemented and enforced, and the way that competing interests in land are managed.
Land governance is essential in achieving inclusive economic growth, sustainable
development and food security. However, pressure on and competition for land increases
due to globalisation of land market, speculation, urbanization, climate change and other
land uses (tourism, nature conservation)[8].

 LAND ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

In a global perspective the areas of surveying and land administration are

basically about people, politics, and places. It is about people in terms of human rights,
engagement, and dignity; it is about politics in terms of land policies and good
government; and it is about places in terms of shelter, land and natural resources
(Enemark 2006) [4].
No nation can build land management institutions without thinking about
the integration of activities, policies, and approaches[4].
Technological innovation provides additional opportunities[4].
Careful management of land related activities on the ground is crucial for delivery
of sustainability[4].
Land Administration Systems are not an end in themselves but facilitate the
implementation of the land policies within the context of a wider national land
management framework[4].
Land administration activities are not just about technical or
administrative processes. The activities are basically political and reflect the accepted
social concepts concerning people, rights, and land objects with regard to land
tenure, land markets, land taxation, land use control, land development, and
environmental management[4].
 IV. ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY

Assessment No.1

Student No. Score /8

Course, Year And Section Date

Identify the following questions. Write your answers in LOWERCASE LETTERS

on the space provided before the number.

____________________1. Historically, land rights evolved to give incentives for maintaining

soil fertility, making land related investments, and managing natural resources sustainably.
____________________2. Include natural grassland, savannas, many wetlands, some deserts,
tundra, and certain forb and shrub communities.
____________________3. All man-made things are perishable and these may even go out of
existence.
____________________4. It has different values according to use, users and concepts of value
and systems of production.
____________________5. It refers to all lands exclusively and actually possessed, occupied,
or utilized by indigenous cultural communities by themselves or through their ancestors in
accordance with their customs and traditions since time immemorial, and as may
be defined and delineated by law.
____________________6. The total quantity of land does not undergo any change.
____________________7. It is the lands that are primarily used for the production of adapted,
domesticated forage plants for livestock.
____________________8. Man has to make efforts in order to acquire other factors of
production.
____________________9. It is not just about technical or administrative processes

____________________10. It is the process of determining, recording and disseminating

information about ownership, value and use of land and its associated resources.

RECOMMENDED READING/VIEWING
Read and study the following:

a. Components Of Land Management System

b. Land Tenure
c. Land Ownership
d. Land Titling And Registration
e. Land Subdivision
 V. EVALUATION

Evaluation No.1

Student No. Score /13

Course, Year And Section Date

Identify the following questions. Write your answers in uppercase letter on the
space provided before the number.

____________________1 Includes woodlands, native pastures, and croplands producing

forages.
____________________2. It concerned with development and use of land
____________________3. It is land that has little or no agricultural or industrial value. Marginal
land has little potential for profit and often has poor soil or other undesirable characteristics.
____________________4. The total quantity of land does not undergo any change.
____________________5. Historically, land rights evolved to give incentives for maintaining
soil fertility, making land related investments, and managing natural resources sustainably.
____________________6. Man has to make efforts in order to acquire other factors of
production.
____________________7. All man-made things are perishable and these may even go out of
existence.
____________________8. It refers to all lands exclusively and actually possessed, occupied,
or utilized by indigenous cultural communities by themselves or through their ancestors in
accordance with their customs and traditions since time immemorial, and as may
be defined and delineated by law.
____________________9. Land use planning and restrictions are becoming increasingly
important as a means to ensure effective management of land use, provide infrastructure and
services, protect and improve the urban and rural environments, prevent pollution, and
pursue sustainable development
____________________10. Emphasis on the holding and registration of rights in land

____________________11. It is the process by which the resources of land are put to good
effect.

____________________12. It refers to those lands of the public domain which have been the
subject of the present system of classification and declared as not needed for forest, mineral
purposes or national parks

____________________13. Concerns the rules, processes and structures through which

decisions are made about access to land and its use, the manner in which the decisions are
implemented and enforced, and the way that competing interests in land are managed.

____________________14. It is "forest land" that is producing, or is capable of producing, more

than 20 cubic feet per acre per year of industrial wood crops under natural conditions, that is not
withdrawn from timber utilization, and that is not associated with urban or rural development[

____________________15. It includes land under temporary crops such as cereals, temporary

meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily
fallow.
VI. REFERENCES
1. Hull, S., Kingwill., & Fokane, T., 2020 - An Introduction to Land
Administration
2. CHARACTERISTIC OF LAND
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/land/land-10-main-characteristics-of-
land-economics/10811
3. TYPES OF LAND
 FOREST LAND
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/askextension/thisQuestion.cfm?
ThreadID=8295&catID=192&AskSiteID=87
 TIMBER LAND
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/askextension/thisQuestion.cfm?
ThreadID=8295&catID=192&AskSiteID=87
 MINERAL LAND
https://mgb.gov.ph/images/stories/RA_7942.pdf
 ANCESTRAL LAND
https://mgb.gov.ph/images/stories/RA_7942.pdf
 GRAZING LAND, PASTURELAND, OR RANGELAND
https://www.epa.gov/agriculture/agricultural-pasture-rangeland-and-
grazing
 ALIENABLE AND DISPOSABLE LAND
http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/1140564!.pdf
 ARABLE LAND
https://data.oecd.org/agrland/agricultural-land.htm\
 AGRICULTURAL LAND
https://data.oecd.org/agrland/agricultural-land.htm
 MARGINAL LAND
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marginal-land.asp
 INDUSTRIAL LAND
http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/1140564!.pdf
4. Deininger, K., Augustinus, C., Enemark, S., and Munro-Faure, P., 2010 –
Innovations in Land Rights Recognition, Administration, and Governance
5. WHAT IS LAND ADMINISTRATION
http://www.fao.org/in-action/herramienta-administracion-
tierras/introduction/concept-land-administration/en
6. Dale & McLaughlin (1999) - Land Administration
7. WHAT IS LAND MANAGEMENT?
 https://unece.org/DAM/hlm/documents/Publications/land.administration.g
uidelines.e.pdf
8. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAND MANAGEMENT AND LAND
GOVERNANCE
 Land Management
Foley, J. A., Defries, R., Asner, G. P., et al., 2005. - Global Consequences
of Land Use
 Land Governance
https://knowledge4food.net/knowledge-portal/land-governance-portal/