Determining the Potential Role of VGI in Improving Land Administration Systems in Iraq

Land is undoubtedly the most important natural resource and asset in any nation, contributing half to three quarters of the national wealth in most countries. Hence there is a need to manage it in a sustainable manner. The management of a land system is affected by a number of factors, including the political situation, the socio-cultural environment, and economic aspects e.g. financial crises. In Iraq all these problems are present and further, the country has endured decades of internal and external conflict. The results of such factors include different waves of human population displacement, land ownership document forgery, seizure of public land by unauthorised groups, manipulation of urban planning by changing the use of the land, and subdivision of single parcels into multiple landholdings. By examining volunteered geographic information (VGI), we hypothesise that it has a role in enhancing the Iraqi land administration system. The paper presents a research design, including specific aims and objectives, for conducting such VGI application in Iraq and concludes with a framework for conducting challenging fieldwork in local communities which seek improvements in land administration.