Creation of Abkhazia's Geoinformation and Real Estate Databases

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Status: Completed

Full Activity Title: Creation of Modern and Hi-tech Geoinformation Systems for Sokhumi, Gulripshi, Ochamchire, Gagra and Gali and Gudauta Rayons

Location: Sokhumi, Gulripshi, Ochamchire, Gagra, Gali and Gudauta Rayons, Abkhazia

Activity Dates: November, 2006­ – December, 2007

Source of Funding: Ministry of Refugees and Accomodation of Georgia

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Project Abstract

Georgian-Abkhazian conflict in early 1990's led to the displacement of approximately 250,000 people, mainly ethnic Georgians. More than 10 years after the cessation of armed conflict, only a limited number of displaced persons were able to return to their homes. The majority of the displaced remain scattered throughout Georgia proper and foreign countries.

The Government of Georgia launched presidential program My House aimed at protection of refugees/IDPs ownership rights in Abkhazia and South Ossetia conflict regions. Within the framework of this program APLR has been contracted to carry out the identification of real estate owners on the territory of Abkhazia and recording their ownership rights.

The project activities cover 156 708 ha of land in Sokhumi, Gulripshi, Ochamchire, Gagra, Gali and Gudauta rayons. APLR  processes satellite images and topographic maps, transforms them into the national coordinate system through the advanced ERDAS software and prepares orthopotos for depiction of cadastral information. Based on visual identification, land parcels and other topographic objects are depicted on orthopotos and high precision topographic maps through ArcGis program. Creation of land geoinformation database, including available information on each object, is one of the tasks of the project. The project also envisions designing spatial digital models of large towns and villages through the ArcGlobe Program.

APLR designs special Software to ensure systematization of refugees/IDPs real property. Information on refugees/IDPs and their property is collected from different sources, such as declarations filled up by refugees/IDPs, archive information, address lists, telephone number lists, street names, numbers of houses and topographic maps. Following the processing and entry of this information into the database, linking of graphic information with the data delivered by refugees/IDPs is ensured.  Based on mentioned works APLR also prepares and prints registration cards and cadastral maps and ensures issuance of Public Registry extract for each unit of real property.

Project envisions providing free legal consultations on land and real estate related issues, as well as on presidential program My House to target groups. APLR sets up temporary points for refugees/IDPs at its central and regional offices to help them in filling up property declarations.

With this project, APLR makes an important contribution to the key initiative aimed at recognition and recording of property rights of IDPs, it also marks the first time APLR has been able to extend the implementation of its mandate in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia.