Geographic information and its IT tools with the Geographic Information Systems have become necessary elements in territorial development and administration. The aim of this research is to investigate the role of geographic information in the making of territorial government and in the definition of public action policy in the cities and countries of the South. Taking as our starting point a case study carried out in the coastal region of Benin, within a context of the increased presence of international development agencies, particular attention has been paid to the roles of each of the various parties and the intertwining of the various scales (i.e. on a international, national, regional and communal level) brought on by the production, access and practical use of this information and tools. Our research is situated at the crossroads of land management policy, within an era of globalisation with increase and expansion of professional techniques and access to the information and the decentralization and municipalization meant to encourage the role of local authorities in the process of regional development. This study however questions the adaptability of models from North to South and their opportunities for local ownership: resistance, cohabitation and resilience of cultural values and customary practices with technological and binding management augured by the dissemination of geographical information and its tools.
