Government-organized distant resettlement and Three Gorges Project, China

Resettlement of population displaced by major infrastructure projects is an important development issue with concerns about the economic, social and environmental consequences being paramount (World Bank, 2001; Cernea and McDowell, 2000; OED, 1998). Cernea and McDowell (2000:12) state that “the most widespread effect of involuntary displacement is the impoverishment of a considerable number of people”. They propose that socially responsible resettlement – that is, resettlement genuinely guided by equity considerations – can not only counteract this impoverishment but also generate benefits for both the national and local economy. The World Bank (2001) has indicated that the objectives in involuntary settlement should be as follows: