Resettlement for development: issues of displacement caused by hydroelectric projects in Vietnam's northern uplands

Abstract

[Conclusion]: Resettlement for development in the North-West is different from other regions because it does not involve an exchange of one piece of land for another, requiring instead a shift to new forms of work. Investment in infrastructural improvement alone is capable of attracting people of all ethnic groups to volunteer for participation in planned development. The poverty-reduction program needs to be implemented on a large scale, but development should be focussed and its effects should be visible. Only if they see that resettlement really is for development will people want to get involved.