Involuntary resettlement for infrastructural development projects: redesigning an evaluation framework on impacts on the population in host communities

The implementation of hydro-dams, was envisioned and employed by governments to promote industrialisation, agriculture and commerce. This is like a strategic emblem of progress and development to improve the standard of living of citizenry vastly. Such large infrastructural projects are means of ushering in wealth, and frequently becoming the foundation of strong nation building. The implementation of hydro-dams comes with direct and indirect impacts on people’s livelihoods. Both people in affected resettled and host communities tend to perceive impacts with the implementation of hydro-dams on their livelihoods. However, the existing resettlement literature have not evaluated in-depth of such impacts of the host population due to involuntary resettlement for infrastructural development projects in communities for comparative analysis. This thesis sought to look into this knowledge gap in the resettlement literature by evaluating the perceived impacts (before and after) of the site implementation processes of dam-induced involuntary resettlement (DIIR) and their governance on the people in host communities. This thesis, therefore, used a mixed-method approach, using qualitative and quantitative methods to do so, using the case of Bui Dam in Ghana. This study, therefore, presents a front on understanding the impacts of the site implementation processes of DIIR and their governance on the original people living in host communities for policy formulation. Findings of the thesis show a partial non-alignment between resettlement and the content of resettlement frameworks for debates and practice. It shows the non-compliance to the hybrid financing model’s principles for infrastructural development projects in terms of governance. It also brings to the fore the fragility of governance principles applied in hydro-dams’ implementation.