In the past, experts faced the problem of data fragmentation, with information stored in different formats and held by different staff members. Today, however, the municipality has a single ecosystem based on the open-source software, QGIS. More than just a digital map, it is a powerful management tool that provides a real-time overview of land use. Iryna Shakhraiuk, the Chief Specialist in the Department of Land Resources, Environmental Safety and Civil Protection at Vyshniv Village Council, spoke about this:
“We were able to enter data for over 1,500 plots during the training, and as of today, around 3,000 properties have already been processed. Now, instead of searching through various files, all it takes is a few clicks to have complete information on your desktop”.
What has the municipality gained from digitalisation?
The digitalisation of land resources has given the municipality full visual control over every metre of its territory within a single system. This has enabled it not only to track lease terms in real time, but also to fully automate the processes of contract execution, amendments, termination or renewal, as well as the preparation of the necessary applications.
“Today, managing lease agreements is so much easier, and we are already making active use of this data. We have already received an extract from the register of property rights for 2023, and we are manually entering changes for the period 2024–2026 to update the database. Naturally, we are looking forward to future automatic synchronisation with the registers where all civil law agreements and transfers of ownership are recorded. However, even with some manual data entry, having all the information in a single system is a huge advantage and convenience for the municipality,” said Anatolii Dytyna, the Head of the Department of Land Resources, Environmental Safety and Civil Protection at Vyshniv Village Council.
Economic impact: how auditing boosts the budget
Still, digitalisation is not just about convenience; above all, it is about boosting the local budget. According to Anatolii Dytyna, the audit is a tool for financial control. It has enabled the team to identify areas that have been misused for years or have remained outside systematic management: “The main aim of the audit is to turn land into a productive asset”.
Andrii Pohorilyi, an Adviser on Decentralisation and Local Self-Government at the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Zakarpattia Oblast, shares this view:
“The digital audit has provided the municipality with an effective mechanism for generating revenue and ensuring sound management. The case of Vyshniv municipality proves that modern technological solutions are the best way to minimise losses and make the most of every municipality’s capacity”.
