Abstract:
The impact of resettlement on social relations and livelihoods with respect to
fundamental rights of people is a widely debated matter. Countries in the developing
world are implementing projects aiming to eliminate shanties and other dilapidated
housing from the cities by resettling families in new housing schemes, particularly in
vertical neighbourhoods. However, the resettlement programs are often less
satisfactory for people due to the alien social environments that emerge in the new
neighbourhoods. The research gap to be addressed in this study is the lack of
comprehension of impacts generated by the resettlements on people, especially on their
social capital and livelihoods. The identified case studies are: the resettled community
at Dematagoda from Slave Island in 2005, and the remaining community in Slave
Island (to analyse before and after situations), in Sri Lanka. A questionnaire survey,
Interviews with heads of households, systematic observations, and project reports were
used as data sources and were analysed in light of theories to clarify the geography of
social relationships and livelihoods. The findings from the settlements in Slave Island
and Dematagoda were compared to identify the impact of resettlement on social
relations and livelihoods using analytical network diagrams and narratives. The
research reveals that the social capital network is dense in a low income community
(before resettlement) but does not advance to achieve significant livelihood
improvements, whereas the social ties are weak after the resettlement, but empower the
members of the network to claim the resources for livelihood improvements.
