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Exploring Resettlement Impacts of Hydroelectric Projects

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Version 3 2023-09-26, 01:35
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thesis
posted on 2023-09-26, 01:35 authored by Chidmany, Somsanid

Over the past five decades, there has been growing awareness of the potential negative effects of development-induced displacement and resettlement. For example, resettlement can threaten people’s livelihoods and well-being and sustainable development. In response to this phenomenon, many international financial organisations led by the World Bank have adopted safeguard policies, standards, and guidelines, especially around forced resettlement. These safeguard documents maintain that organisational and financial arrangements – through livelihood restoration programmes – can possibly alleviate displaced people’s impoverishment risks if those risks are correctly identified early. This thesis explores claims that such risks in development-caused involuntary population resettlement can be addressed by effective planning processes. Specifically, this thesis examines how resettlement and livelihood restoration programmes related to the Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric project (NT2) in Lao PDR were able (or not) to address the livelihood sustainability of resettled communities.  In conducting fieldwork in Lao PDR, this thesis employed a mixed methods approach using both qualitative and quantitative methods including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative secondary data.  The key findings found in this study reflect NT2’s mixed performance of resettlement. On the one hand, the project provided enormous advantages to Lao PDR: a) the cooperation between Lao government and international stakeholders including resettled people in the preparation of resettlement strategies; b) introducing the Lao government and resettled people to a new global standard of resettlement practice. On the other hand, this project also caused a number of challenges: a) incomplete preparation of the resettlement strategies; b) unsuccessful implementation of livelihood restoration programmes; and c) the lack of precision in terminology – stipulated in the CA – to enable the effective establishment of measures, indicators and criteria which could be used to inform objective and fair decision making. These findings seem to hold NT2 back from successfully achieving the sustainable development for resettled people’s livelihoods and well-being.  The findings of this study should be of interest to development academics and practitioners working in the fields of energy development and development-induced displacement and resettlement. Specifically, the lessons learned from resettlement and livelihood restoration programmes implemented by Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric project are crucial, because it is considered a role model for other hydropower projects in Lao PDR. It is hoped that the results of this study can make a contribution to the on-going improvement of the Lao government’s existing policies on resettlement and livelihood restoration strategies in order to fulfil sustainable development goals.

History

Copyright Date

2016-01-01

Date of Award

2016-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Degree Discipline

Sociology

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Level

Masters

Degree Name

Master of Development Studies

Victoria University of Wellington Unit

Asian Studies Institute

ANZSRC Type Of Activity code

1 PURE BASIC RESEARCH

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Awarded Research Masters Thesis

Language

en_NZ

Alternative Title

A Case Study of Resettlement due to Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project in Lao PDR

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences

Advisors

Kindon, Sara