Resettlement delays in the Dasu Hydropower Project: assessing impacts on the affected people and communities

ABSTRACT

This case study of the Dasu Hydropower Project in Pakistan investigates the impacts of delays in resettlement on project-affected people. The analyses presented here suggest that delays in the implementation of resettlement plans lead to additional socio-economic, environmental and psychological impacts on local communities. In addition, temporary resettlement of some households prior to relocation and resettlement at the planned sites aggravated these impacts, further complicating planned resettlement. The authors argue in favour of resettlement ahead of any civil works to reduce negative project impacts.

KEYWORDS:

• Risk assessment
• development-induced displacement
• double displacement
• resettlement delay impacts
• Dasu Hydropower Project
• Pakistan

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Key Research Project of the National Foundation of Social Science of China and Community Governance and Post-relocation Support in Cross District Resettlement [grant number 21&ZD183].