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Dams and Development E-Paper Contents

p. -1 of 74 BACK | NEXT Home Page of Dams and Development Foreword I. Why an e-paper on dams and development? II. Assessing options III. Participatory processes IV. Social impacts V. Environmental impacts VI. Benefit distribution VII. Dam safety and sustainability VIII. Existing projects IX. Improving governance X. What other organizations say XI. ADB, Dams, and Development XII. References Contact Us

Extracts from ADB's Policy on Involuntary Resettlement and related Handbook and Operations Manual related to identifying needs and assessing options:

Changing the design to minimize resettlement:

'…For any project that requires relocating people, resettlement should be an integral part of project design and should be dealt with from the earliest stages of the project cycle, taking into account the following basic principles (i)Involuntary resettlement should be avoided where feasible, (ii) Where population displacement is unavoidable, it should be minimized by exploring all viable project options….' (Policy para 34).

'Describe alternative options, if any, considered to minimize land acquisition and its effects, and ??? why remaining effects are unavoidable'..(Outline of a Full Resettlement Plan, Handbook, Table 2.4).

'Assess options to reduce or avoid resettlement' Initial Social Assessment stage in the project cycle. (Handbook, Table 2.7)

'Some projects can be redesigned to avoid resettlement effects'. Measures proposed include alternative water sources, altering alignments of roads, railways, power lines, embankments, etc, narrowing rights of way, aligning pipes along existing road corridors, alternative sites for borrow pits, lowering the height of a dam, providing buffer walls to reduce noise or other effects. (Handbook, page 23)

Comparing options:

The full resettlement costs are to be included in the presentation of project costs and benefits. This includes costs of compensation, relocation and rehabilitation, social preparation and livelihood programs as well as the incremental benefits over the without-project situation .. (OM F2/BP, para 4(x)).

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