Page 221 - Encyclopedia Of World History

displaced populations, typology of 571

politically underpinned, and cannot be regarded or that each project that causes displacement should contain
treated as simply “technical” operations. also a resettlement action plan, adequately financed.
In turn, the IRR model also highlights the poverty and Socially responsible resettlement involves also the reem-
environmental risks that the displaced groups create at powerment of the population uprooted and disempow-
arrival sites. These are, in essence, risks newly imposed ered by displacement. This can best be achieved by
upon the host populations and risks to the surrounding enabling resettlers to self-organize, express their needs,
environment. Increased population densities at arrival and participate in planning the relocation and postrelo-
sites aggravate competition for natural resources and cation development. For this, the adoption of explicit
jobs; further, relocation processes often tend to exceed international and national policy standards and legal
the carrying capacity of the environment and entail frameworks to regulate development-caused displace-
unsustainable use of limited natural resources, soil ero- ment and resettlement is indispensable.
sion, and deforestation.
Michael M. Cernea
Since governments or private-sector corporations ini-
tiate the projects that cause such displacement, it is See also Diasporas
incumbent on these governments or corporations not
only to provide full compensation, but also to support Further Reading
the sustainable resettlement and livelihood improvement Black, R. (1998). Refugees, environment, and development. London:
of the people displaced by development through added Longman.
Cernea, M. M. (1997).The risks and reconstruction model for resettling
investments to finance the development of the affected displaced populations. World Development, 25(10), 1569–1588.
population. Cernea, M. M. (2000). Impoverishment risks and reconstruction: A
model for population displacement and resettlement. In M. Cernea &
C. McDowell (Eds.), Risks and reconstruction: Experiences of resettlers
The Use of Typologies and refugees, 42–47.Washington, DC: World Bank.
in Practical Work Cernea, M. M. (2003). For a new economics of resettlement: A socio-
logical critique of the compensation principle. International Social Sci-
Given the diverse causes of displacement, assistance and ence Journal, 175, 37–43.
support work must be tailored to the characteristics of Cernea, M., Guggenheim, S., van Wicklin,W.,Aronson, D. (1994). Reset-
tlement and development: Report on the Bank-wide review of projects
each major category and further adjusted operationally to
involving involuntary resettlement. Washington, DC: World Bank.
specific local circumstances. For refugees, the main solu- Chatty, D., & Colchester, M. (Eds.). (2003). Conservation and mobile
tions include repatriation, or absorption and integration indigenous people, displacement, forced settlement, and sustainable
development. New York: Berghahn.
at the arrival place. Humanitarian assistance during the Cohen, R. (1997). Global diasporas. London: NCL.
refugee-status period is indispensable. Relocation of Cohen, R., & Deng, F. (1998). Masses in flight.The global crisis of inter-
nal displacement. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
refugees in improvised camps or colonies is regarded only
de Wet, C. (2004).Why do things so often go wrong in resettlement proj-
as a temporary-relief response to humanitarian emer- ects? In A. Pankhurst, & F. Piguet (Eds.), People, space and the state:
gencies, not as a solution. In the case of development- Migration, resettlement, and displacement in Ethiopia (pp. 50–70).
Addis-Abbaba, Ethiopia.
caused displacements, such camps are fully unacceptable. Fernandes,W. (2004). India’s resettlement policy and compensation. In
For development-displaced people, the obligations M. Cernea and H. M. Mathur (Eds.), The resettlement dilemma: Can
compensation prevent impoverishment? (pp. 99–112). Delhi, India:
incumbent upon the displacing agent (the state or private
Oxford University Press.
sector corporations) are high. For instance, the IRR Koenig, D. (2001). Toward local development and mitigating impover-
model outlines the strategies necessary to counteract the ishment in development-induced displacement and resettlement.
Retrieved July 27, 2004, from http://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/PDFs/
risks of impoverishment, including land-based resettle- rrtowardlocal01.pdf
ment, employment provision, and house reconstruction. International Organization for Migration (1996). Environmentally-
induced population displacement and environmental impacts resulting
Such measures must be articulated into resettlement
from mass migration. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization
action plans. Internationally accepted guidelines require for Migration.