Examine the impacts of resettlement on livelihood and social relations in Sri Lanka

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.