Kabul, 06 June 2018. The Government of Afghanistan is using GIS, Remote Sensing and ICT technologies to collect and analyze property data for purposes of improving tenure security in urban areas. Through the City for All program, the government is digitizing and mapping all properties in Kabul and 11 other cities. The base maps are then verified by household level surveys before property records are finalized and registered. 270,000 properties have been surveyed in Kabul municipality at the end of May 2018.

Preliminary findings reveal that only 15% of the surveyed properties in Kabul are in possession of a formal deed. All other properties either hold an informal or customary document (41%), or no document at all (44%). The lack of secure tenure is indeed one of the major challenges for local economic development and prosperity in Afghanistan cities. The situation is especially dire for Afghan women who own or control only 4% of urban land and property.

UN-Habitat is providing technical assistance for the City for All program through the financial contribution of USAID and the EU. The Government of Afghanistan has taken strategic measures to improve tenure security in urban areas. The adoption of a new legal framework for land management is paving the way for the issuance of occupancy certificates for the majority of residents of informal settlements. We congratulate the Government of Afghanistan for adopting this innovative vision to improve the living conditions of millions of urban Afghans, including women and displaced populations.