Blockchain as a tool to facilitate property rights protection in the Global South: lessons from India’s Andhra Pradesh state

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Nir B. Kshetri, Professor (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/

Abstract: The lack of a comprehensive property rights system is an issue of pressing concern in most economies in the Global South. Property rights-related issues have important social, economic and environmental consequences. This paper argues that one of the most impactful uses of blockchain in the Global South could be in the creation, implementation and enforcement of property rights. The article provides an in-depth analysis of a blockchain-based land registry project in the Andhra Pradesh state of India. It also delves into facilitators for and barriers to a large-scale adoption and deployment of blockchain for this purpose. The paper shows that with blockchain, the benefits of digitisation of land records can be amplified and some of the major drawbacks of digitisation can be avoided.

Additional Information

Publication
Third World Quarterly, 43:2, 371-392, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2021.2013116
Language: English
Date: 2021
Keywords
Andhra Pradesh, blockchain, Global South, land-titling reform projects, poverty, property rights protection

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