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.

Involuntary Resettlement Sourcebook: Planning and Implementation in Development Projects clarifies many policy and technical issues that confront resettlement policymakers and practitioners. It provides guidance on resettlement design, implementation, and monitoring, and it discusses resettlement issues particular to development projects in different sectors, such as urban development, natural resource management, and the building of dams. The sourcebook will be useful to a wide range of stakeholders. Its primary audience is resettlement practitioners, who have a role in the actual design, implementation, and evaluation of resettlement programs. The sourcebook will also be of interest to policymakers and project decision makers.

A crucial issue that confronts development in South Asia is how to build a better life for people displaced by infrastructure development projects. This book comprises recent displacement and resettlement case studies conducted by eight anthropologists in South Asia. Each contributor wrote around the key theme of the book: Is involuntary resettlement a development opportunity for those displaced by development interventions? In this book, "resettlement" carries a broader meaning to include physical and economic displacement, restricted access to public land such as forests and parks, relocation, income rehabilitation, and self-relocation. The book demonstrates that despite significant progress in national policies, laws, and regulations, their application still requires more commitment, adequate resources, and better supervision.

Infrastructure projects sometimes physically displace households and disrupt income sources and livelihoods. The Asian Development Bank offers several good governance practices to its borrowers to minimize such adverse impacts, especially since the absorption of such best practices by countries is usually slow and erratic. This publication presents an in-depth case study from a complex and sensitive infrastructure project in Sri Lanka, where international best practices in involuntary resettlement were successfully merged with local legal systems. The publication demonstrates that the application of best practices to infrastructure projects needs continuous consultations with affected people and a firm commitment of resources.

Professionals from, or retired from, the World Bank take six dam projects as case studies on the disruption caused by large-scale engineering projects the Bank funds. They evaluate the mitigation efforts after the Bank's resettlement guidelines had been implemented in projects in India, Thailand, Togo, China, Indonesia, and Brazil. They find satisfactory results, or at least trends, in compensation for the acquired land, relocation, infrastructure, and services. They find less success in the often harsh drop of income by the refugees, and considerable dissatisfaction among the people displaced. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

This handbook describes the resettlement process and operational requirements within the Bank's project cycle. It also address the integration of social dimensions into Bank operations. The paper elaborates key resettlement planning concepts, including the policy framework, entitlements, planning resettlement for vulnerable groups, social preparation phases, budgets and time lines.

Annex 3. Opening speech.