Resettlement in Asian Countries: Legislation, Administration and Struggles for Rights

This book examines land acquisition and resettlement experience in Asian countries, where nearly two-thirds of the world’s development-induced displacement currently takes place. Faced with the complexity of balancing legal frameworks and resettlement needs, along with increasing demands for safeguarding displaced peoples, in recent years many countries within Asia have adopted integrated land and resettlement laws. This book presents a comparative review and assessment of the impact of the new land and resettlement laws and regulatory frameworks for expropriation, compensation and resettlement.

Written by an international, interdisciplinary team of experts from both practice and academia, the book demonstrates the ongoing challenges and struggles associated with social and resettlement risk assessments, the social and cultural exclusion of indigenous/vulnerable groups in some countries, and the lack of institutional capacity to adequately deal with resettlement management and administration. The case studies and comparative analyses of laws and practices relating to expropriation, compensation and resettlement make significant contributions to advancing resettlement knowledge and management practices.

The book will be useful as a reference for development practitioners and for researchers across the fields of global development, political science, Asian studies, planning and law. The book also has potential use as a resource for resettlement management training programs and graduatelevel courses/seminars in development studies.

Mohammad Zaman (PhD in anthropology, Manitoba, 1988) is an internationally known development/resettlement specialist and advisory professor, National Research Centre for Resettlement (NRCR), Hohai University, Nanjing, China. He has over 30 years of experience as an international consultant and worked for major international financial institutions (ADB, AIIB, DFID, JICA, WB) in many countries in Asia and Africa. Dr. Zaman is widely known for his project-level work, independent review, research, training and publications in the resettlement field. Dr. Zaman is a fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology and Honorary Advisor, Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, India.

Reshmy Nair (PhD in economics, JNU, India), is Professor and Director, Centre for Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (CMLARR), at Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, India. The CMLARR, established in 2013 with support of the World Bank, is an empaneled institution for conduct of social assessment studies and has developed comprehensive training modules on management of land acquisition/resettlement for various sectors/clients in the South Asian region. Dr. Nair has directed more than 100 dedicated national/international courses for more than 4,500 officers and 120 organizations, including for multilateral financial institutions (WB, ADB, AIIB) and national governments in Asia and Africa.

Shi Guoqing is Professor and Director of the National Research Center for Resettlement (NRCR) and Social Development Institute, Hohai University, China. A founding member of the International Network on Displacement and Resettlement (INDR), Professor Shi is an internationally known expert in involuntary resettlement management. He is a member of the Governance Committee for Sustainable Hydropower Council and Chair of the Emerging and Developing Countries Committee of International Hydropower Association (IHA). Since 1994, Professor Shi has provided advisory services to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Professor Shi established the first research institution on involuntary resettlement management, namely, the National Research Centre for Resettlement (NRCR) at Hohai University, in 1992. Since 2004, the NRCR at Hohai University has been offering MA/PhD programs in resettlement science and management.