Land Acquisition, Resettlement, Rehabilitation and Indigenous Peoples’ Policy, 3rd edition (2007) 1. Basic Principles of Resettlement Policy a. Involuntary resettlement should be avoided where feasible. b. Where population displacement is unavoidable, it should be minimized by exploring all viable project options. c. People unavoidably displaced should be compensated and assisted, so that their economic and social future would be generally as favorable as it would have been in the absence of the project. d. People affected should be fully informed and consulted on resettlement and compensation options. e. Involuntary resettlement should be conceived and executed as part of the project. 2. Operational Policies for Resettlement a. The absence of a formal legal title to land by some affected groups should not be a bar to compensation, especially if the title can be perfected; particular attention should be paid to households headed by women and other vulnerable groups, such as indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities, and appropriate assistance provided to help them improve their status. b. In case of severe impacts on agricultural land use, rehabilitation measures shall be given to PAFs that are actively cultivating affected plots, in the form of a combination of training, money to be invested to improve productivity, agricultural extension and income restoration allowances. c. If possible, income restoration entitlements may also be given to informal settlers affected by non-severe loss of agricultural land, though the rehabilitation may have lesser effect than for severely affected PAFs. d. Existing social and cultural institutions of re-settlers and their hosts should be supported and used to the greatest extent possible and resettlers should be integrated economically and socially into host communities. Environmental and Social Services OfficeDepartment of Public Works and Highways February 2007 8