Ecuador's Rural Cadasters and Land Titling Project (CATIR): Technical Process

The National Program for Rural Cadasters and Titling (CATIR) is currently undergoing the development of a legal cadastral system for the rural areas in Ecuador. The first phase of the program, which essentially entails the pilot project, consists of implementing a cadastral system in two counties: Salcedo, in the sierra region, and Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (known locally as Jujan), on the coastal plain. For each rural parcel the pilot project will establish ownership, define shape and area, describe land use, and provide an evaluation. This paper discusses the current status and problems of the Ecuadorean cadastral system, describes the objectives of CATIR, and documents the technical processes of phase I being applied in Salcedo County as of August 1990. The technical processes explained includes surveying engineering methods, cadastral data gathering techniques, and cartographic design. Institutional issues and the current status of the program are addressed in “Ecuador Land Titling Project Evaluation,” a report by Lambert et al. published in 1990.