Resettlement Project Research Articles

Exploring the relationship between vulnerability and adaptation of rural households: disaster resettlement experience from rural China

In the face of environmental deterioration and to improve human welfare, China’s Shaanxi provincial government has launched one of the largest disaster shelter and resettlement projects in history. In assessing the likely success of this project, it is important to measure the vulnerability and adaptation of rural households in areas where the population experiences ecological and livelihood vulnerability. Based on 657 rural questionnaires collected in southern Shaanxi relocation zones, this study explores four categories of relationship between vulnerability and adaptation based on two aspects of livelihood resilience, namely specific resilience and general resilience. A multinomial logistic regression model is employed to investigate the influence of disaster resettlement on these categories. The analysis finds that: (1) there is a connection between these categories and household livelihood strategies, and rural households are more likely to adopt non-agricultural strategy or livelihood diversification strategy; (2) the livelihood resilience of relocated households is significantly higher than that of non-relocated household, with specific resilience being the main reason for the difference; (3) participation in disaster resettlement, centralized resettlement, and high relocation subsidies are not conducive to belonging in the “low vulnerability–high adaptation” category, while voluntary relocation is conducive to being in this category. These results have significant ramifications for China and other developing national disaster resettlement programs. It is critical for resettled households to reduce livelihood vulnerability and improve adaptive capacity.

Credibility and the Social Function of Property: A Saga of Mega-Dams, Eviction, and Privatization, as Told by Displaced Communities in Malaysia

Globally, the forced displacement of socially vulnerable communities causes significant contestation, irrespective of whether that occurs for mega-projects or smaller infrastructural, agricultural, urban renewal, or property developments. Despite multilateral guidelines for “socially inclusive” development, it is difficult to avoid the marginalization of evicted, local communities. Grounded on the credibility thesis, this article provides a new, theoretical basis for understanding the “social function of property” and how this may be used as a criterion to assess whether development-induced and resettlement projects should be given the go-ahead. Methodologically, this article employs the FAT (Formal, Actual, and Targeted) Institutional Framework to unpack the social function of property. To this end, it analyzes the acquisition and privatization of the common property of Indigenous Peoples to construct the Malaysian Bakun Hydroelectric Project, purportedly Asia’s second-largest dam. The FAT analysis ascertains the following three conditions on which basis projects should be halted: (1) the property of the evicted communities fulfills a critical role in providing social welfare; (2) the said function is disregarded by the expropriating agency; (3) the power divides between the expropriator and expropriated prevent meaningful participation by the latter. This study demonstrates that the social function of property can be effectively measured and validates the FAT Framework as a viable tool to analyze development-induced projects (and policies), with particular reference to expropriation, privatization, and formalization.

Road to Resettlement: Understanding Post-disaster Relocation and Resettlement Challenges and Complexities Through a Serious Game

Resettlement and relocation are among the most difficult policies to put into practice, but they may be the best ways to minimize future risks to settlements exposed to natural hazards both before and after disaster events. As climate-related disasters and forced migration become increasingly common worldwide, governments, humanitarian or development actors, and policymakers must now prioritize the implementation of a dignified and effective resettlement program as part of their planning and management responsibilities. Much of this effectiveness depends on the stakeholders and beneficiaries’ understanding and knowledge of the different resettlement phases, culture and customs of affected populations, activities, and the associated implementation challenges, costs, and benefits. Serious games are used in a variety of contexts to increase awareness, train and build capacity in stakeholders and beneficiaries. This article presents a serious game developed to educate practitioners, local agencies, students, and the public to understand the complexities and challenges involved in a successful resettlement. The game is based on a real proposed resettlement project initiated in the Chiradzulu District in southern Malawi after Cyclone Freddy in March 2023, which caused widespread flooding and landslides, forcing some villages to relocate permanently. The progression in the Road to Resettlement Game consists of six primary levels: land and site preparation, housing and livelihood, water, sanitation, and hygiene, health, education, and protection. These levels are meant to be completed in a sequence that adheres to the principles of resettlement. By engaging in the serious table-top board game, players gain an understanding of the resettlement activities, their sequence, and the associated practical (technical and social) and financial challenges.

Cherished sons and considerate daughters? Claims to resettlement housing in the urbanizing Eastern China

China’s urbanization has led to massive demolition and resettlement projects on the edge of the expanding cities, moving affected villagers into resettlement housing. This study examines the consequent changes in family property structures, focusing on how resettlement housing was redistributed between sons and daughters. This study draws on fieldwork in the suburban area of an expanding city in Shandong, Eastern China, and analyzes in-depth interviews about how resettlement housing was divided in families that had (1) both sons and daughters, (2) sons only, and (3) daughters only. The findings suggest that the sons’ privilege in receiving housing properties was more salient in families with more children (three children or above) and with both sons and daughters. In small families (with one or two children) or daughter-only families, it was more likely for siblings’ needs and daughters’ contributions to be mentioned in the division of properties; when daughters adjusted their family roles, such as assuming the role of the ‘heir,’ their negotiation for inheritance rights changed. Built on studies about how local governments and rural communities have ignored or reproduced gender inequality in property structures in urbanization, this study illustrates how gendered access to housing varies across family structures.

The Harms of Imprisonment and Envisioning a Desistance-Supporting ‘Good Society’

Research evidence in the 21st century strongly indicates that prisons are inherently harmful environments in which to try to support rehabilitation, because of their destructive impact on identity, self-actualisation, mental health and social relationships. Yet HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continues to propose that prisons can be legitimate sites of rehabilitation as well as centres of punishment. This article begins by interrogating this proposition by looking at research conducted in an adult male prison. By specifically focusing on the interpersonal conflicts and tensions that the men experience in their daily lives, the research highlights the ‘relational’ and ‘self-actualising’ harms that undermine the development of a successful rehabilitative culture within a prison. The article then moves on to consider a utopian vision of a ‘desistance-supporting’ rehabilitative ‘good society’ by drawing on a second piece of research that captures the voices and experiences of participants in a very successful community-based resettlement project. Lessons learned from this are then collated to consider how to build a rehabilitative ‘good society’ in prisons. The article concludes with a cautionary note about the possible difficulty of creating such a society in neoliberal times.

Risk reduction through managed retreat? Investigating enabling conditions and assessing resettlement effects on community resilience in Metro Manila

Abstract. Managed retreat, a key strategy in climate change adaptation for areas with high hazard exposure, raises concerns due to its disruptive nature, vulnerability issues and overall risk in the new location. On-site upgrading or near-site resettlement is seen as more appropriate and effective compared to a relocation far from the former place of living. However, these conclusions often refer to only a very limited set of empirical case studies or do not sufficiently consider different context conditions and phases in resettlement. Against this background, this paper examines the conditions and factors contributing to community resilience of different resettlement projects in Metro Manila. In this urban agglomeration reside an estimated 500 000 informal households, with more than 100 000 occupying high-risk areas. In light of the already realized and anticipated climate change effects, this precarious living situation exposes families, already socio-economically vulnerable, to an increased risk of flooding. The response of the Philippine government to the vexing problem of informal dwellers has been large-scale resettlement from coasts, rivers and creeks to state-owned sites at urban fringes. However, only very few resettlement projects could be realized as in-city projects close to the original living space. The study employs a sequential mixed-method approach, integrating a large-scale quantitative household survey and focus group discussions (FGDs) for a robust comparison of resettlement types. Further, it reveals community-defined enabling factors for managed retreat as climate change adaptation strategy. Results indicate minor variations in well-being conditions between in-city and off-city resettlement, challenging the expected impact of a more urban setting on resilience. Instead, essential prerequisites for resettlement involve reduced hazard exposure, secure tenure and safety from crime. Beyond these essential conditions, social cohesion and institutional support systems emerge as significant influencers for the successful establishment of well-functioning new settlements. With this findings, the study contributes to the expanding body of literature on managed retreat, offering a comprehensive evaluation based on extensive datasets and providing entry points for the improvement of retreat as a climate change adaptation strategy.

Persistent Vulnerability after Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Response: The Case of Salgar, Colombia

Community-based disaster management (CBDM) has replaced traditional models of disaster risk reduction (DRR), giving the community a more participatory role in the planning and implementation of risk mitigation and preparedness strategies, disaster response, and post-disaster recovery measures. This shift in disaster response approaches has impacted understandings of vulnerability and resilience, leading scholars and policy makers to move away from a physical definition of vulnerability and to incorporate social variables. However, in Colombia, a traditional DRR approach still prevails. The National Risk Management Policy employs a top-down approach to risk reduction and disaster management, relying on the action of governmental authorities without community participation in the design or implementation of risk management planning and strategy. This article reveals the deficiencies of traditional DRR approaches. The Colombian government’s post-disaster resettlement project after a 2015 landslide in Salgar, Antioquia that resulted in 98 people dead or missing did not contribute to the reduction of vulnerability for the resettled community. To accurately measure post-disaster vulnerability and resilience, a new holistic model of indicators that includes both social and biophysical variables that illustrate and measure the relevance of preexisting vulnerabilities was developed. Local data was collected through 178 surveys administered to the inhabitants of Salgar’s three post-disaster resettlement sectors—La Habana, La Florida, and Las Margaritas—to construct an accurate picture of the populations affected by the disaster. Our results show that in the case of Salgar, social vulnerabilities persist even in the physical components of the resettlement sites where new infrastructure would be expected to reduce hazardous conditions and exposure to risk.

Формирование новых этнических групп в Калмыкии в 1957–1991 гг.

Introduction. The article discusses the shaping of largest ethnic clusters (besides those of Kalmyks and Russians proper) across the Kalmyk ASSR in 1957–1991. The process is of certain scientific and practical interest, since it may extend our knowledge of how ethnic structures in Russia would take shape, including in the particular region of Kalmykia. Goals. The article aims at outlining the specified process in the territory of the Kalmyk ASSR at the final stage of the Soviet era. The study employs the historical/comparative and historical/genetic methods to examine materials from the National Archive of Kalmykia, published documents and statistical tables, republican newspaper articles. Results. The work investigates some circumstances behind the emergence of new ethnic clusters, shows their population dynamics, types and forms of resettlement, analyzes official policies and interethnic relations between locals and migrants. The present-day ethnic structure of Kalmykia started taking shape after the Kalmyk people’s autonomy was restored in 1957. The Government invested considerable funds to reconstruct and develop the Kalmyk ASSR but the available labor resources of Kalmyk homecomers and Russian natives were insufficient. So, the authorities were forced to recruit laborers in other regions. Stable new ethnic communities emerged in rural areas, the majority of the migrants having arrived from neighboring North Caucasian republics then characterized by intense population growth and excess labor resources. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, urgently evacuated Meskhetian Turks and Kurds were also resettled to the republic. Conclusions. The emergence of new ethnic clusters in the Kalmyk ASSR was facilitated by the Government’s large investments that resulted in increased jobs unable to be filled by homecomers and locals. There were no special ethnic resettlement projects but the granted employment opportunities in the reestablished republic were attractive enough, which led to a migration surge and the shaping of new ethnic communities.

Illuminating sustainable household well-being and natural resource dependence in the case of disaster resettlement in rural China.

In order to transform rural development, the implementation of disaster resettlement projects should not only reduce environmental hazards, but also improve the sustainability of natural resources and household well-being. This article assesses sustainable household well-being (SHWB) and natural resource dependence using a quantitative survey of rural China. It identifies four classes of relationship between SHWB and natural resource dependence and explores the impact of disaster resettlement on these classes. The result shows that rural households that participate in disaster resettlement as well as in voluntary relocation, centralized relocation, and new-stage relocation are more likely to achieve "high well-being and low dependence." However, the overall SHWB level of the relocated households is lower than that of the non-relocated households, and disaster resettlement also has a significant positive impact on the "low well-being and low dependence" class. It is recommended that governments implement measures to address these issues. The findings in this article could shed light on the impact of resettlement programs on rural households elsewhere.

Has the poverty alleviation resettlement projects achieved just transition in Nujiang Prefecture of Southwest China?: A way to achieve SDGs

From 2016 to 2020, China successfully assisted 9.6 million people below poverty line, making a making a substantial contribution to both the UN-defined Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the global effort to reduce poverty. The literature reveals a focus on resettlement justice concerning livelihood transformation, re-siting, and public participation. However, a dearth of scholarly perspectives exists regarding migrants' comprehensive satisfaction indicators of just transition, particularly on sustainable assessment. Therefore, the study regards migrants as “customers” of PAR projects and assesses the degree of realization of a just transition of resettlement through their satisfaction. A multilayered comprehensive evaluation model is being formulated using the survey data of 515 migrants residing in three county-level cities in Nujiang Prefecture of southwest China. The results show that there is an increase in satisfaction with the impact of PAR on the migrant households' income, material assets, housing conditions, infrastructure, natural environment, children's educational level and ethnic cultures. Moreover, satisfaction with migrants' employment stability, social networking level, and the succession of local customs decreased. The results help to show that the PAR project does affect various aspects of migrants' lives, as well as contributing to the SDGs of social, economic, and environmentally sustainable development. The construction of a sustainable assessment system oriented to the combination of different dimensions of migrants' satisfaction and importance can help reduce the inequalities that may arise from the project. Boosting migrants' overall satisfaction is the most significant factor to consider when developing robust policies to increase poverty alleviation achievements and promote sustainable livelihood development.

Evaluating well‐being after compulsory resettlement: Livelihoods, standards of living, and well‐being in Manantali, Mali

AbstractDespite efforts to improve outcomes, resettlement projects that aim to improve livelihoods and living standards of the displaced often do not achieve their goals. Could greater attention to the well‐being of the affected improve resettlement outcomes? This article considers standards of living and well‐being among one resettled group, the Bahingkolu of Manantali, Mali, relocated in the mid‐1980s by construction of the Manantali Dam. Anthropological approaches to well‐being that include a greater understanding of people's own conceptions of well‐being and consider well‐being in relationship to their social and physical worlds help elucidate why the Bahinkolu are unsatisfied with their well‐being despite higher standards of living. Because they can no longer grow enough for food self‐sufficiency, they must encourage family members to work elsewhere, thereby risking the sustainability of the family as a single economic unit. In this context, household heads feel constant anxiety about their ability to maintain a cohesive household. The Bahingkolu publicly maintain that they are “victims of the resettlement” as a strategy to gain more resources for the community. To improve the generally negative consequences of involuntary resettlement, planning should expend more effort to appreciate the conceptions of well‐being among the affected.

Economic development and optimal allocation of land use in ecological emigration area in China

Due to factors such as climate, environment, and resource scarcity, a large number of ecological immigration activities have been carried out in many regions of the world, and a large amount of land has been abandoned in emigration areas, which makes it difficult to reflect the economic value of the land in the process of land ecological restoration. Many scholars mainly focus on the socio-economic development of the immigration area, while the ecological economic value of the land in the emigration area is neglected. The Chinese government has organised and implemented six large-scale resettlement projects in Ningxia to alleviate poverty and bring prosperity to areas where the soil and water are not well nourished and people are struggling. Thus, this study observed Guyuan City, Haiyuan County, and Tongxin County in central and southern Ningxia and conducted a systematic and comprehensive analysis of land resources, natural resources, the ecological environment, and social economy in the emigration area. Based on the accurate identification of the land scale of the emigration area, evaluating industrial suitability in the ecological emigration area, this study intended to strike a balance between ecological and economic development. The results showed that the emigration area is 8.0794 million mus, and the main types of land use are grassland, arable land, and forest land; the industrial development directions include large-scale livestock farming, drought-tolerant fruit farming, cold-resistant vegetable farming, modern forestry, specialised understory and photovoltaic and wind power production. The results provide policy inspiration for sustainable land use in ecological emigration areas, and propose practical ways for social capital and financial institutions to participate in the land development and promote ecological and economic value balance of emigration areas in the world.

Longitudinal insights on a sites and services resettlement project. The case of Ambedkar Nagar in Chennai, India

Sites and Services (S&S) schemes were popular in resettlement in the Global South, especially between the 1970s and 1990s. Towards the end of the twentieth century they were considered unsuccessful and discontinued. The abandonment of S&S was based on premature evaluations and narrow indicators, with little understanding of the real timeframes of incremental development processes. Yet, literature on the long-term development of S&S is scarce. This article draws on a longitudinal study in a S&S resettlement project in Chennai which was implemented at the beginning of the 1990s. It examines both the physical and social development of the project. Although initially, due to the remote location of the site and related lack of employment opportunities, a substantial number of beneficiaries had left the area during the early years, the long-term insights show that the neighbourhood achieved a desirable physical development. The results also underscore how different types of homeowners and residents enabled the development of various tenure types, including rental space. The paper argues that these developments facilitated social mixing across economic, ethnic, and linguistic groups.

Exploring the Affordable Housing Solutions for the Resettlement Projects of Padma Bridge

The construction of Padma Bridge in Bangladesh has necessitated the resettlement of displaced residents, highlighting the need for affordable and sustainable housing solutions aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 10 (Reduce inequality), and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). This study aims to engage undergraduate architecture students in a design studio exercise to develop innovative housing models for resettlement projects, addressing displaced communities' social, economic, and environmental challenges. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework is introduced, integrating stakeholder data. In the design studio, students explore housing alternatives and concentrate on community-driven cooperative housing, assessing their effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability using the MCDA framework. The exercise produces a range of housing solutions that balance affordability, sustainability, and community-centric design. Students demonstrate the potential of novel approaches to address the complex challenges displaced communities face and contribute to equitable development in Bangladesh. Engaging architecture students in developing affordable housing solutions provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in resettlement. The study emphasizes the need for holistic, participatory approaches and highlights the role of innovative, sustainable housing models in enhancing the quality of life for those affected by the Padma Bridge project, aligning with the SDGs.

Linking Natural Resource Dependence to Sustainable Household Wellbeing: A Case Study in Western China

To reduce the threat of natural disasters, protect natural resources, and promote human wellbeing, Shaanxi Province, China has implemented the largest disaster resettlement project since 2011. It has moved 2.4 million people in three prefectures over 10 years. Using survey data from southern Shaanxi, China, this article measures sustainable household wellbeing (SHWB) and natural resource dependence in the context of disaster resettlement. It explores the differences in SHWB and natural resource dependence across different groups and relocation characteristics. To specifically analyze the effects of natural resource dependence on SHWB, ordinary least square (OLS) regression models were used to investigate their relationship. The results show that natural resource dependence shows significant positive correlation with SHWB. Meanwhile, the food dependence, energy dependence, and income dependence of relocated households show significant positive correlation with SHWB. Additionally, the SHWB of relocated households, voluntary relocation households, and centralized relocation households is significantly lower than local households, involuntary relocation households, and scattered relocation households. These findings have broader implications for rural communities in China and other developing countries, and are crucial for rural households to change the heavy dependence on natural resources and improve their wellbeing.

Building Back Better After Disasters: Enhancing Community Resilience Through In-City Resettlement in Valenzuela City, Philippines

Build Back Better (BBB) is a recovery process that aims to make disaster-affected communities more resilient. This study analyzed the resilience of disaster-affected individuals relocated in an in-city resettlement project using the community resilience framework of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in the context of BBB. It contributes to understanding BBB in view of limited case studies of in-city resettlement. Employing mixed methods research design, data were gathered through key informant interviews, household surveys, documents, and observation. Results show that relocation significantly improved community resilience in terms of knowledge, health, infrastructure and services, connectedness, organization, and economic opportunities. Psychological support is lacking and mechanisms to manage the community’s natural assets need to be devised in view of spatial limitations. Good practices conforming to BBB principles include structural design improvement, hazard-based land-use planning, participatory approaches, provision of various services, adoption of a multi-partnership model, economic regeneration, and proper implementation through stakeholder management and disaster management legislation. Results indicate positive contributions of local government-managed in-city resettlement to community resilience when BBB principles are considered. Stakeholders in disaster governance can learn from the good practices identified towards better post-disaster recovery in line with SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities.

Managing Housing and Infrastructure Needs for a Fully-fledged Involuntary Resettlement: The Case of Central Expressway in Sri Lanka

Housing with infrastructure needs are basics in resettlement projects having a public stake. As part of a study exploring how these needs can be effectively addressed, this paper identifies the gaps in managing these infrastructure needs in one of the highway construction projects in Sri Lanka namely Central Expressway, Phase 1. This case study provides a perspective in exploring the issues encountered by the affected people using grounded theory. The paper presents the recommendations to minimize such gaps. Data was collected through unstructured interviews comprising both the beneficiaries and the government officials, reducing opinion bias. Gaps identified were ad-hoc erection of houses, lack of infrastructure facilities, security, safety and health issues, delay and insufficiency of compensation and inefficiency in administrative functions and information asymmetry. Some kind of interventionist approach is inevitable to enhance beneficiary participation and knowledge sharing in order to minimise these gaps, the majority of which has been outweighed by the perceived land value. The findings of this research will help detect the existing gaps in involuntary resettlement and institutional inefficiencies that hamper the progress of resettlement.

Does poverty alleviation resettlement improve resettlees' subjective social status? Longitudinal evidence from China

China's poverty alleviation resettlement (PAR) project relocated millions of residents in deprived areas to more favorable settlements. Although previous studies highlight that resettlees benefit financially, limited attention has been paid to understanding their subjective social status (SSS) in resettled communities. The current study addresses this gap by examining the causal effect of resettlement on resettlees' SSS based on a unique four-wave large-scale survey dataset of 1649 households across eight major PAR-covered Chinese provinces, collected both before and after their resettlement. The findings show that China's PAR project significantly improved resettlees' SSS, regardless of the resettlement mode (i.e., centralized and scattered resettlement) or resettlement location (i.e., village, town, and county). We also observed an inverse-U relationship between post-resettlement duration and SSS, where post-resettlement duration increased SSS at an early stage and decreased as the duration of residence exceeded a turning point. The mediation analyses revealed that PAR influences SSS by promoting resettlees' physical capital rather than through social capital. Our findings suggest that China's PAR can provide a reference for other development-induced displacement and resettlement projects in developing countries.

Does Resettlement Settled the Poverty?Poverty Alleviation Resettlement Programme and Multidimensional Poverty in Rural China

Poverty Alleviation Resettlement is a key component of Chinas Five-Batch policy in Targeted Poverty Alleviation. This work introduces the history of the PAR programme in China and the current phase of work arrangement. It presents findings from the literature on internal and rural-urban migration in China and other countries as well as some of the experiences and problems faced by the previous poverty alleviation resettlement projects. In addition, it attempts to build a simple DiD model to determine the impact of participation in the PAR programmes on the multidimensional poverty status of the poor in China, taking subjective and objective factors into account. It finally illustrates some shortcomings of this research for future refinement.

Alsace in Algeria and the Notion of ‘Failure’ in Settler Political Culture, c. 1870–1960

AbstractThis article explores a key trope in the history of French colonial Algeria: the idea of the colony as a failure. The focus is on the resettlement of Alsatians and Lorrainers in Algeria in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War. What started as a wave of nationalist elan that sought to rebuild the lost provinces in France’s largest colony soon became the object of criticism and controversy, depicted by contemporaries from early on as failure. While this perceived failure was itself a colonial category – the failure to recruit settlers, expulse Algerians, and seize land – it tells us a great deal about the political culture of the colony. How was this resettlement project conceived? What visions of colonization and colonial settlement were projected upon it? And what mechanisms of coercion, dispossession, and violence did different colonial players seek to deploy? Through these questions, this article seeks to demonstrate that the verdict of ‘failure’ by settlers and lobbyists did not emerge in hindsight but was rather the product of the inherent tension between the sheer force that was necessary to seize the land and the metropolitan attempt to establish in the colony a form of unequal yet standardized civilian governance.