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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

Involuntary Resettlement Policy

Resettlement as a 'development component' as opposed to purely a compensation or mitigation issue is promoted in the introduction to ADB's involuntary resettlement policy and is consistent with a pro-poor focus for projects like dams that impact the very poor and vulnerable groups. The extracts below are taken from OM section F2/BP, dated 29 October 2003.

'The involuntary resettlement policy provides and effective opportunity for people who [are] dispossessed or displaced to achieve development benefits. The involuntary resettlement policy applies to all ADB's operations in DMCs'. (para 1)

'The policy treats involuntary resettlement as a development opportunity and allows planners to manage impoverishment risks and turn the people dispossessed or displaced into project beneficiaries, particularly the poor and vulnerable, who may be disproportionately affected by resettlement losses'. (para 3)

Eleven basic principles are identified for resettlement planning.

'The policies applies to all ADB projects and project components, regardless of whether the source of financing is ADB, its cofinanciers, or the government'. (OM Section F2/OP para 2)

Eleven basic principles of resettlement planning

'For any ADB operation requiring involuntary resettlement, resettlement planning is an integral part of the project design, to be dealt with from the earliest stages of the project cycle, taking into account the following basic principles: (OM section F2/BP para 4 for the full text)

1. Involuntary resettlement should be avoided whenever possible.
2. ..population displacement should be minimized by providing viable livelihood options.
3. Replacing what is lost …- at least restored to pre-project level..
4. …conceived and executed as part of a development project or program..
5. ..affected people are to be fully informed and closely consulted…
6. Social and cultural institutions…are to be protected and supported…
7. No formal title …is not a bar to ADB policy entitlements
8. Affected people ..to be identified soon as possible to establish eligibility
9. Poorest.. assistance to help them improve their socio-economic status
10. Full resettlement costs to be included in costs and benefits..
11. Relocation and rehabilitation may be considered for loan financing.

Read more on the Involuntary Resettlement Policy relevant to dam projects.

Involuntary Resettlement

'People requiring particular assistance, such as the poor and the vulnerable, including those without legal title to land, are identified to plan specific measures to mitigate hardships and to assist them in improving their livelihoods'. (OM section F2/OP para 4)

'Where people affected lose access to hitherto unregulated resources such as forests, waterways, or grazing lands, they should be provided with replacements in kind. Measures to restore incomes and living standards can substitute for compensation payments in public safety zones, providing that such measures are sufficient to meet the policy objective'. (Handbook, p7)

'Because complete recovery from relocation and income loss can take a long time, M&E might be required well after the APs are relocated, sometimes even after project facilities are commissioned and Bank financing is complete'. (Handbook, p7)

'Resettlement often provides an opportunity to introduce measure to enhance the economic and social conditions of vulnerable groups, rather than simply restoring them to their pre-project levels of vulnerability. Bank policy recognizes that special attention will focus on the needs of the poorest, female-headed household, indigenous peoples and other special groups. These groups will be assisted to improve their status'. (Handbook, p9)

Good practice in resettlement planning includes: '..Conceptualize and implement resettlement measures as development programs…' (Handbook, p9)

'Involve all stakeholders in a consultative process, especially all affected groups'. (Handbook, p9)

The Handbook provides guidance on developing the resettlement plan through the project cycle. (link to Ch2 )

'A participatory resettlement strategy needs participatory institutions for implementation' …'Grievance redress procedures set out the timeframe and mechanisms for resolutions of complaints about resettlement from APs'. (Handbook, p43)

Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of resettlement plans involves:

• 'monitoring physical and financial targets and the delivery of entitlements to people affected'
• periodic reviews in which 'project decision-makers gather together with key stakeholders to assess resettlement progress'
• evaluation of 'whether the resettlement objectives were appropriate and whether they were met, specifically, whether livelihoods and living standards have been restored or enhanced'. (Handbook, p77)

'The EA [Executing Agency] normally appoints an independent agency for external M&E to ensure complete and objective information'. (Handbook, p78)

'Involvement of people affected and hosts in the M&E process may solve many day-to-day problems arising in the implementation of resettlement operations'. (Handbook, p83)

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