Basic requirements for a successful land consolidation
Mats Backman
Land Fragmentation is often acknowledged as a problem by decision makers, even if its impact on economic growth in rural areas is largely underestimated. Land Fragmentation in Sweden is main-ly concentrated to the county of Dalarna in Central Sweden where there is an urgent need of Land Consolidation of 500 000 hectares of forest land. The Swedish government initiated an official investigation 1993 regarding the financing, co-ordination and legal regulation of the mapping and property formation activities. One of the findings was that the costs for the land register, the ca-dastre and taxation were approx. 1,7 Million USD higher per year in the county of Dalarna than in the neighbouring counties due to the high fragmentation of properties in Dalarna. Furthermore Land Fragmentation causes considerable extra costs for society regarding access to land for the municipalities, the National Road Administration, the National Rail Administration, the telecom-munication companies and the electric power suppliers. The total extra costs for society related to Land Fragmentation in Dalarna is approx. 3,4 Million USD annually. This amount with a perpetu-al capitalization at a real rate of interest of 3 % is 112 Million USD. Work with planning and land use is also more expensive for municipalities and the county administration. Land Fragmentation causes retained activities and employment in forestry as well as retained tax revenues. As a matter fact the increase of tax revenues in Land Consolidation project in Dalarna concluded during 1993 ? 1997 was at least as large as the governmental subsidies assigned for these projects.
Event: Symposium on Land Consolidation and Readjustment for Sustainable Development
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