Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers

One of the most difficult types of land-related conflict is that between Indigenous peoples and third parties, such as settler farmers or companies looking for new opportunities who are encroaching on Indigenous communal lands. Nearly 30% of Colombia’s territory is legally owned by Indigenous people...

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Main Authors: Laura Becerra, Mathilde Molendijk, Nicolas Porras, Piet Spijkers, Bastiaan Reydon, Javier Morales
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/4/382
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author Laura Becerra
Mathilde Molendijk
Nicolas Porras
Piet Spijkers
Bastiaan Reydon
Javier Morales
author_facet Laura Becerra
Mathilde Molendijk
Nicolas Porras
Piet Spijkers
Bastiaan Reydon
Javier Morales
author_sort Laura Becerra
collection DOAJ
description One of the most difficult types of land-related conflict is that between Indigenous peoples and third parties, such as settler farmers or companies looking for new opportunities who are encroaching on Indigenous communal lands. Nearly 30% of Colombia’s territory is legally owned by Indigenous peoples. This article focuses on boundary conflicts between Indigenous peoples and neighbouring settler farmers in the Cumaribo municipality in Colombia. Boundary conflicts here raise fierce tensions: discrimination of the others and perceived unlawful occupation of land. At the request of Colombia’s rural cadastre (Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (IGAC)), the Dutch cadastre (Kadaster) applied the fit-for-purpose (FFP) land administration approach in three Indigenous Sikuani reserves in Cumaribo to analyse how participatory mapping can provide a trustworthy basis for conflict resolution. The participatory FFP approach was used to map land conflicts between the reserves and the neighbouring settler farmers and to discuss possible solutions of overlapping claims with all parties involved. Both Indigenous leaders and neighbouring settler farmers measured their perceived claims in the field, after a thorough socialisation process and a social cartography session. In a public inspection, field measurements were shown, with the presence of the cadastral authority IGAC. Showing and discussing the results with all stakeholders helped to clarify the conflicts, to reduce the conflict to specific, relatively small, geographical areas, and to define concrete steps towards solutions.
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spelling doaj.art-7499a11fee7845659adc29168e3a73332023-11-21T14:27:44ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2021-04-0110438210.3390/land10040382Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler FarmersLaura Becerra0Mathilde Molendijk1Nicolas Porras2Piet Spijkers3Bastiaan Reydon4Javier Morales5Maestría en Ciencias de la Información y las Comunicaciones, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá 11021-110231588, ColombiaKadaster International, Land Registry and Mapping Agency of the Netherlands, 7311 KZ Apeldoorn, The NetherlandsKadaster International, Land Registry and Mapping Agency of the Netherlands, 7311 KZ Apeldoorn, The NetherlandsKadaster International, Land Registry and Mapping Agency of the Netherlands, 7311 KZ Apeldoorn, The NetherlandsKadaster International, Land Registry and Mapping Agency of the Netherlands, 7311 KZ Apeldoorn, The NetherlandsITC Faculty, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The NetherlandsOne of the most difficult types of land-related conflict is that between Indigenous peoples and third parties, such as settler farmers or companies looking for new opportunities who are encroaching on Indigenous communal lands. Nearly 30% of Colombia’s territory is legally owned by Indigenous peoples. This article focuses on boundary conflicts between Indigenous peoples and neighbouring settler farmers in the Cumaribo municipality in Colombia. Boundary conflicts here raise fierce tensions: discrimination of the others and perceived unlawful occupation of land. At the request of Colombia’s rural cadastre (Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (IGAC)), the Dutch cadastre (Kadaster) applied the fit-for-purpose (FFP) land administration approach in three Indigenous Sikuani reserves in Cumaribo to analyse how participatory mapping can provide a trustworthy basis for conflict resolution. The participatory FFP approach was used to map land conflicts between the reserves and the neighbouring settler farmers and to discuss possible solutions of overlapping claims with all parties involved. Both Indigenous leaders and neighbouring settler farmers measured their perceived claims in the field, after a thorough socialisation process and a social cartography session. In a public inspection, field measurements were shown, with the presence of the cadastral authority IGAC. Showing and discussing the results with all stakeholders helped to clarify the conflicts, to reduce the conflict to specific, relatively small, geographical areas, and to define concrete steps towards solutions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/4/382fit-for-purpose land administrationindigenous land conflictCumariboColombia
spellingShingle Laura Becerra
Mathilde Molendijk
Nicolas Porras
Piet Spijkers
Bastiaan Reydon
Javier Morales
Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers
Land
fit-for-purpose land administration
indigenous land conflict
Cumaribo
Colombia
title Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers
title_full Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers
title_fullStr Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers
title_full_unstemmed Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers
title_short Fit-For-Purpose Applications in Colombia: Defining Land Boundary Conflicts between Indigenous Sikuani and Neighbouring Settler Farmers
title_sort fit for purpose applications in colombia defining land boundary conflicts between indigenous sikuani and neighbouring settler farmers
topic fit-for-purpose land administration
indigenous land conflict
Cumaribo
Colombia
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/4/382
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