Peter Penz, Jay Drydyk, Pablo S. Bose, Displacement by Development. Ethics, Rights and Responsibilities (Book review)

Abstract

This book explores the issue of development-induced population displacement from the point of view of development studies and development ethics. Based on an ethical approach, specifies the measures to minimize the problems of displaced persons and strengthening their participation as a beneficiaries of development projects. The book combines a thorough examination of the most important causes of involuntary population resettlement with numerous references to ethical and social aspects of this problem. Ethical considerations have become a starting point for the analysis of the decision-making process in the most spectacular cases of development-induced displacement and resettlement, associated, inter alia, with the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, and the Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River. In addition to the groundbreaking theoretical approach to the problem, the significant advantage of the book is to draw attention to the lesser-known causes of displacement and notable historical considerations. The interdisciplinary nature of the study is reflected in the application of ethical approach as a point of reference for considerations on the basis of development studies, decision-making mechanisms and legal framework for resettlement planning, defining the responsibilities and the nature of the displaced (DIDPs) and affected (PAPs) communities (rights-based approach).