Can river communities benefit from resettlement?

The forced resettlement of river basin communities because of dam construction is a highly controversial process. It can be justified only if plans are implemented to enable resettlers to raise their living standards. They should be involved in all stages of project decision-making including project identification and, if a dam is selected, in project planning, implementation and monitoring.

In the past,people could express their concerns about dams and resettlement schemes toproject authorities, but this rarely had much impact. Today, the preferredapproach is partnerships with local people to involve them in all aspects ofresettlement, preferably as project shareholders and co-project managers.

Independentresearch reviews recent trends of forced resettlement. Dam construction projectscan benefit local people by sharing the financial gains of a project, consideringlocal culture to enable more appropriate selection of sites, and assisting theresettlement process. The research includes the rights of indigenouscommunities who have often been subject to cultural discrimination duringresettlement planning and have not had any influence on resettlement policies.

There aresignificant cultural, political and economic barriers to successfulresettlement schemes. The research shows:

• The increasing diversity ofcommunities makes it difficult to ensure that everyone has opportunity toparticipate in discussions and planning.
• Project developers often overlookcultural factors, such as traditional work activities and belief systems.
• Promoting economic development andimproving living standards following resettlement are usually the mostdifficult tasks.
• An irrigation scheme included in damprojects can be important for improving the living standards of resettledpopulations and other nearby communities. It should be planned to achievemultiplier effects that will provide additional employment opportunitiesfor resettlers.
• Over-reliance on compensation leavesresettlement communities impoverished once the compensation ends. Cashcompensation can also result in conflict between and within communitiesand between individuals within households.

Giving morepower to displaced people during the planning process is essential foreffective resettlement. This includes planning of irrigation systems, selectingappropriate sites for resettlement and identifying suitable economic andculturally appropriate opportunities. If possible, dams should be situated inlocations that avoid resettlement. Where resettlement is unavoidable, projectsmust benefit both construction companies and the local community to besuccessful. Such scenarios will need participation of and partnership with thelocal community.

The research makesseveral recommendations to ensure resettlement projects benefit poor people:

• Beforeeach project, consider a wider range of energy and water resourcedevelopment options. Should a dam be selected, minimise resettlement asmuch as possible.
• Whereresettlement is unavoidable, plan for affected people to become projectbeneficiaries.
• Providefinance for communities to recruit the necessary experts, such as lawyers,engineers and health experts.
• Improveunderstanding of local knowledge, values and lifestyles. Developmentprojects must balance new opportunities with culture and traditions.
• Provideresettled people with irrigated land and employment opportunities tocomplement traditional rainfed agriculture.
• Ensureresettled communities have access to common property resources andopportunities, such as reservoir fisheries, tourism and employmenttraining.