2008 - China - Using Involuntary Resettlement to Alleviate Poverty

When properly designed and implemented, involuntary resettlement on highway projects can be used to improve overall living conditions and alleviate poverty for those affected by the project.  

This technical note describes how this was achieved on the Shiyan-Manchuangan Expressway project in Hubei China. By focusing on sustainable land development, better housing standards and infrastructure access, and centralized resettlement communities, the project has improved living standards and raised incomes for most affected residents. Public participation and continuous dialogue with affected parties throughout the project helped address residents’ concerns and contributed to the positive outcome. These practices can be applied elsewhere to help achieve satisfactory resettlement outcomes.