Catalog

	Table of Contents
p. 3 of 25 BACK | NEXT I. Introduction A. Projects Involving Displacement of People B. Magnitude and Impacts of Population Displacement C. Voluntary Migration vs. Involuntary Resettlement D. Involuntary Resettlement and the Environment II. Review of Involuntary Resettlment Experiences III. Involuntary Resettlement Policy IV. Implementation Procedures V. Conclusions

Involuntary Resettlement : I. Introduction

---

B. Magnitude and Impacts of Population Displacement

7. Ongoing World Bank projects in Asia are estimated to displace over 1.5 million people. Reliable estimates of the number of people displaced by ongoing Bank-financed projects are not readily available. However, some examples of the magnitude of population displacement in Bank-assisted projects are (i) the completed Batang Ai Hydropower Project in Malaysia displaced 3,600 Iban people in Sarawak;³ (ii) the ongoing Second Manila Port Project involves the displacement of 8,500 squatter families;⁴ (iii) the private-sector Hopewell Power (Philippines) Corporation Project in the Philippines displaced some 223 families;⁵ (iv) the Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Project in Bangladesh is expected to require the relocation of up to 65,000 people;⁶ and (v) the Jingjiu Railway Project in the People's Republic of China involves the displacement of about 210,000 people.⁷ However, numbers alone may not present a full picture of the intensity of impact on the local people.

8. Many development projects that require involuntary displacement of people generally have adverse economic, social, and environmental impacts on the displaced people. Homes are abandoned, production systems are dismantled, and productive assets and income sources are lost. Displaced people may be relocated to environments where their skills may be less applicable, the competition for resources may be greater, and host populations may be hostile or culturally incompatible. Well-established community structures, social networks, and kinship ties may be broken or weakened. Cultural identity, traditional authority, and the potential for mutual help may be diminished. For survival, displaced people may be forced to over-exploit ecologically fragile areas, exacerbating environmental degradation. The adverse impacts on host populations may also be significant. The absence of appropriate development measures for compensation, resettlement, and rehabilitation of the displaced people may (i) cause severe long-term hardship, impoverishment, and even decimation of the affected communities; (ii) adversely affect the host populations; and (iii) lead to severe environmental damage.

___________________

Back A. Projects Involving Displacement of People	Next C. Voluntary Migration vs. Involuntary Resettlement