How does development economics address the issue of gains and losses from the displacement that i... more How does development economics address the issue of gains and losses from the displacement that inevitably accompanies many development processes? This paper argues that economists have struggled mightily between the core criterion of a "Pareto improvement", which vests individuals with infinite rights in their current standard of living, and its deeply conservative implications—both that it would prevent redistribution away from the rich, and that it would stop most projects from ever taking place. Where they have got to conceptually is a compromise, through using distributionally sensitive weights to evaluate the gains and losses of a project. In practice, however, systematic use of such weights in project appraisal or cost-benefit analysis is rare. Apart from advocating such use, which is true to the spirit of the conceptual position reached in economics, the paper argues that specific compensation mechanisms and generalised safety nets will reduce tensions between prot...
This compendium brings together two papers on cost-benefit analysis and the compensation principl... more This compendium brings together two papers on cost-benefit analysis and the compensation principle in the context of resettlement. Ravi Kanbur’s paper, “Development Economics and The Compensation Principle, ” presents an account of economic thinking, while Michael Cernea’s paper, “For a New Economics of Resettlement: A Sociological Critique of the Compensation Principle, ” presents an analysis from the perspective of a sociologist. Earlier versions of the papers were presented at the Cornell conference on Displacement, November
This paper states that to attain good environmental management it is utterly insufficient to addr... more This paper states that to attain good environmental management it is utterly insufficient to address the environmental requirements alone, instead the sociological variables must also be addressed. These variables are paramount for the use of natural resources by people. The second part presents the case of a successful regional development strategy, grassland and water resource management, in Eastern Senegal, a semi-arid area of West Africa. . The author briefly describes the experience creating an user-based system of managing resources and derives more widely applicable lessons. The paper concludes that the most important factor for success was the presence of a clearly conceptualized and effective operations strategy for building organization structures at the local level in contrast to a simple 'technical package' without sustaining social and institutional local structures.
Les deplacements forces et reinstallations de populations consecutifs a des programmes de develop... more Les deplacements forces et reinstallations de populations consecutifs a des programmes de developpement ont atteint une ampleur et une frequence telles qu'ils sont reconnus comme des phenomenes universels et necessitent des solutions regies par des politiques specialisees. L'auteur identifie les tendances generales revelees par le vaste corpus de donnees empiriques en matiere de reinstallation, pour ensuite esquisser un modele theorique de deplacement et de reconstruction. Ce modele tire avantage des toutes dernieres recherches en matiere de reinstallation et propose un large cadre theorique pour diagnostiquer et anticiper les risques d'appauvrissement. Ce cadre peut servir d'outil operationnel. Le modele suggere egalement que la reconstruction et l'amelioration des moyens d'existence des personnes deplacees exigent une lutte pour renverser les risques de pauperisation au moyen de strategies soutenues par un financement adequat. L'auteur critique les appr...
The region needs good leadership that unites rather than divides; that builds rather than destroy... more The region needs good leadership that unites rather than divides; that builds rather than destroys; that reaches out and is not introverted or locked in ethnic prejudices; that is confident and not insecure; that is transparent and not corrupt; that is humble and not aggressive and arrogant; and that is patient and not intolerant. Above all, the Great Lakes requires leadership that forges a collective vision.
How does development economics address the issue of gains and losses from the displacement that i... more How does development economics address the issue of gains and losses from the displacement that inevitably accompanies many development processes? This paper argues that economists have struggled mightily between the core criterion of a "Pareto improvement", which vests individuals with infinite rights in their current standard of living, and its deeply conservative implications—both that it would prevent redistribution away from the rich, and that it would stop most projects from ever taking place. Where they have got to conceptually is a compromise, through using distributionally sensitive weights to evaluate the gains and losses of a project. In practice, however, systematic use of such weights in project appraisal or cost-benefit analysis is rare. Apart from advocating such use, which is true to the spirit of the conceptual position reached in economics, the paper argues that specific compensation mechanisms and generalised safety nets will reduce tensions between prot...
This compendium brings together two papers on cost-benefit analysis and the compensation principl... more This compendium brings together two papers on cost-benefit analysis and the compensation principle in the context of resettlement. Ravi Kanbur’s paper, “Development Economics and The Compensation Principle, ” presents an account of economic thinking, while Michael Cernea’s paper, “For a New Economics of Resettlement: A Sociological Critique of the Compensation Principle, ” presents an analysis from the perspective of a sociologist. Earlier versions of the papers were presented at the Cornell conference on Displacement, November
This paper states that to attain good environmental management it is utterly insufficient to addr... more This paper states that to attain good environmental management it is utterly insufficient to address the environmental requirements alone, instead the sociological variables must also be addressed. These variables are paramount for the use of natural resources by people. The second part presents the case of a successful regional development strategy, grassland and water resource management, in Eastern Senegal, a semi-arid area of West Africa. . The author briefly describes the experience creating an user-based system of managing resources and derives more widely applicable lessons. The paper concludes that the most important factor for success was the presence of a clearly conceptualized and effective operations strategy for building organization structures at the local level in contrast to a simple 'technical package' without sustaining social and institutional local structures.
Les deplacements forces et reinstallations de populations consecutifs a des programmes de develop... more Les deplacements forces et reinstallations de populations consecutifs a des programmes de developpement ont atteint une ampleur et une frequence telles qu'ils sont reconnus comme des phenomenes universels et necessitent des solutions regies par des politiques specialisees. L'auteur identifie les tendances generales revelees par le vaste corpus de donnees empiriques en matiere de reinstallation, pour ensuite esquisser un modele theorique de deplacement et de reconstruction. Ce modele tire avantage des toutes dernieres recherches en matiere de reinstallation et propose un large cadre theorique pour diagnostiquer et anticiper les risques d'appauvrissement. Ce cadre peut servir d'outil operationnel. Le modele suggere egalement que la reconstruction et l'amelioration des moyens d'existence des personnes deplacees exigent une lutte pour renverser les risques de pauperisation au moyen de strategies soutenues par un financement adequat. L'auteur critique les appr...
The region needs good leadership that unites rather than divides; that builds rather than destroy... more The region needs good leadership that unites rather than divides; that builds rather than destroys; that reaches out and is not introverted or locked in ethnic prejudices; that is confident and not insecure; that is transparent and not corrupt; that is humble and not aggressive and arrogant; and that is patient and not intolerant. Above all, the Great Lakes requires leadership that forges a collective vision.
Environment Department Papers, Resettlement Series, Mar 1996
The Bankwide Resettlement Review was initiated in 1992 to encompass all projects with resettlemen... more The Bankwide Resettlement Review was initiated in 1992 to encompass all projects with resettlement in the Bank's portfolio between 1986 and 1993 and to assess consistency between policy and operations. The Bankwide review was assigned to the Environment Department in the Environmentally Sustainable Development Vice Presidency (ESD); the Environment Department established a Task Force to coordinate the review and carry it out jointly with the regional departments. Each of the Bank's operational regions and the Bank's Legal Department formed resettlement review working groups. All regions prepared comprehensive analytical reports on their resettlement portfolios, and these formed he basis of this report. Contributions were also received from the Bank's central Vice Presidencies.
The three objectives of the resettlement review were:
(1) To ascertain the scale of involuntary resettlement in the Bank's portfolio, and determine regional and sectoral trends and composition.
(2) To analyze ongoing resettlement programs for their quality, consistency with policy, and outcomes.
(3) To identify recurrent problems affecting performance, initiate midstream remedial actions, and prepare a follow-up strategy for addressing resettlement more effectively.
Rather than being carried out as a desk-bound and static stock-taking exercise this review was deliberately designed as a broad process of resettlement analysis in the field, carried out by the Bank's relevant regional and central units jointly with the Borrowers. The main product of this comprehensive review is not simply its final report, but the process that the review triggered throughout 1993 across the Bank and on the ground. The review process consisted of intensified field supervision, analysis of project preparation, appraisal, supervision, and implementation, on-site consultation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), sectoral resettlement studies, development of new technical tools for resettlement planning, and a considerable number of joint remedial actions initiated by the Bank and the Borrowers for projects failing to meet set objectives.
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The three objectives of the resettlement review were:
(1) To ascertain the scale of involuntary resettlement in the Bank's portfolio, and determine regional and sectoral trends and composition.
(2) To analyze ongoing resettlement programs for their quality, consistency with policy, and outcomes.
(3) To identify recurrent problems affecting performance, initiate midstream remedial actions, and prepare a follow-up strategy for addressing resettlement more effectively.
Rather than being carried out as a desk-bound and static stock-taking exercise this review was deliberately designed as a broad process of resettlement analysis in the field, carried out by the Bank's relevant regional and central units jointly with the Borrowers. The main product of this comprehensive review is not simply its final report, but the process that the review triggered throughout 1993 across the Bank and on the ground. The review process consisted of intensified field supervision, analysis of project preparation, appraisal, supervision, and implementation, on-site consultation with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), sectoral resettlement studies, development of new technical tools for resettlement planning, and a considerable number of joint remedial actions initiated by the Bank and the Borrowers for projects failing to meet set objectives.