Effects of Construction of the Bili-Bili Dam (Indonesia) on Living Conditions of Former Residents and Their Patterns of Resettlement and Return

Abstract

Construction of the Bili-Bili Multi-purpose Dam on the Jeneberang River, 31 km from the city of Makassar in Indonesia's province of South Sulawesi, was completed in 1997. The dam construction and creation of a reservoir necessitated the relocation of 2085 families by the year 2000. From among them, 1079 families chose to move to locations close to the new reservoir (in Gowa District) and 415 moved elsewhere, mostly to urban areas. The remaining 591 chose to accept an offer of free farmland and a house in the district of either Mamuju or Luwu under Indonesia's Transmigration Programme. Both districts are located more than 400 km away from the original settlement. It was found that, after the initial relocation, the number of resettled families living in both districts dropped significantly. It is thought that many of them returned to the areas adjacent to the reservoir, because all resettlers were allowed to choose their destinations independently. The living conditions in Mamuju District were found to be fairly satisfactory, but this was not the case in Luwu. Emotional factors, rather than economic ones, motivated some resettlers to leave the transmigration areas and return to areas close to the reservoir. They returned ‘home’ after having saved enough money from living in the transmigration areas. The second generation of transmigrants, however, consider their present location to be their home, and they see no incentive in moving to live in areas near the reservoir.