The World Bank Board of Directors has approved a $100 million loan to expand Colombia’s Multipurpose Cadaster, aiming to modernize the country’s land administration. The cadaster is a system that records detailed information about land and its characteristics, which is expected to improve land tenure security, local government finances, and public investment.
The program will focus on enhancing the National Cadaster Management System and increasing the coverage of updated cadastral data. Efforts include strengthening both institutional and community capacities for cadaster implementation, updating geospatial infrastructure, and encouraging the use of this data in territorial planning, risk management, and property taxation. The initiative also aims to generate employment by training women and vulnerable groups to participate in these activities. Support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) will help attract private investment.
“Having a modern and comprehensive cadaster is fundamental for people to exercise their land rights and for local governments to plan better and collect revenues more efficiently,” said Mark R. Thomas, World Bank Country Director for Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. “This program will enable more communities—especially the most vulnerable—to access quality cadastral services, contributing to better land management and more equitable and sustainable development.”
Key outcomes anticipated from this project include increased efficiency in maintaining cadastral records, broader access to updated information on land tenure rights holders with an emphasis on gender inclusion and ethnic communities. The initiative builds upon progress made under a previous Multipurpose Cadaster Project approved by the World Bank in 2019.
By providing accurate land information through standardized systems, the expanded cadaster is expected to strengthen legal security for property owners, facilitate formalization processes that allow greater access to credit markets, stimulate real estate activity, reduce uncertainties in infrastructure projects as well as value chains—all factors that contribute positively toward investment conditions and economic growth.
Funding for this expansion uses a Program-for-Results (PforR) approach: disbursements are tied directly to achieving specific targets verified by results. This model encourages efficient implementation while ensuring measurable impacts on fiscal sustainability and social inclusion.
Further details can be found at the World Bank Colombia website.