Among development assistance agencies, the World Bank has led the
way in policies to mitigate the impact of large-scale engineering
projects on local populations, particularly in the building of
dams. Since the 1980s the Bank has implemented guidelines for
policies with respect to displacement, social infrastructure and
services, environmental effects, resettlement, compensation, and
the restoration of income for those affected. Having learned from
the failures of past resettlement programs, the Bank has endeavored
to function as a responsible and caring agency. This volume builds
upon earlier studies and field work to offer a broad look at
dam-building projects in six countries and to review the outcomes
of Bank policy, learn from experience, and assess outside
criticism.
The book covers representative dam projects in India, Thailand,
Togo, China, Indonesia, and Brazil. Each project was undertaken
after Bank resettlement guidelines had been implemented. The widely
ranging results in each country are assessed. In the areas of
compensation for acquired land, relocation, infrastructure and
services, the contributors note satisfactory levels of improvement
or positive trends. Governments are moving towards acceptance of
the idea that displaced families should be paid the real value of
their lost assets. Relocation processes are now keeping pace with
water movement caused by dam building, and health, education,
utilities, and roads are better than before the resettlement.
Other results have been less positive. The impact on incomes of
those involuntarily resettled has been harsh in some locations.
Resettler dissatisfaction has been intense, notably in those
countries where the national economies are not experiencing strong
growth. The Bank's performance itself has been uneven. There have
been lapses in appraisal and monitoring during the projects and
insufficient follow-through support for resettlement operations
after the completion of loan and credit disbursements.
In addition to its case by case analysis of countries and
projects, the book includes detailed lessons and recommendations to
strengthen resettlement policy and practice. Involuntary
Resettlement will be of interest to economists, sociologists, and
professionals working in regional development policy.
Robert Picciotto is director general of Operations Evaluation at
the World Bank. Warren van Wicklin is task manager and evaluator at
the Operations Evaluation department of the World Bank.
General
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