Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy. 2012. Presentation from Session 6: Hydropower Governance and its Implications on Negotiations and Resettlement

1. L/O/G/O
Conflict between resettlement policy and customary
regulations of indigenous people in natural resources
management
Case study in A Luoi hydropower resettlement area, Thua Thien
Hue province, Vietnam.
Hoang Dung Ha, fellow of 3th call
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2. Contents
1 Background
2 Summary objectives
3 Preliminary findings
4 Preliminary conclusions
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3. 1.Background
• In 2007, the A Luoi hydropower was deployed
at the upstream of A Sap river - the
international name is Sekong.
• This is the largest hydroelectric project in
Thua Thien - Hue province, Vietnam.
• A Luoi hydropower has taken up 4,200 ha of 6
communes of A Luoi district, more than 1,800
households were affected (almost are Pa Ko
and Ta Oi ethnic minority people)
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4. Problem statement
• There were 106 households must move
to the resettlement area (Name is Can
Tom resettlement area) to give their
land for this project.
• There are many policies of Thua Thien
Hue province relating to the
resettlement, compensation and
livelihood support for local people but
almost them were not based on the
local community demand.
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5. 2.Summary of objective
• Analysis the inadequacies between resettlement policies
and traditional custom of indigenous community in
order to contribute to better management of natural
resources and sustainable community development in A
Luoi hydropower resettlement area.
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6. 3. Preliminary finding
Conflicts in resettlement and compensative policies
• A Luoi hydropower reservoir is very complex topography, lakes
interspersed in five communes with 820ha of water surface.
• The hoarding up water of A Luoi hydropower reservoir has caused
flooding in agricultural areas, industrial trees and crops lands, roads so
that affect to the traditional production methods of the local people.
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7. Management network
A Luoi
HP
HP Financial
company dept
Province Local
government Technical
dept
District Commune
• The participation of stakeholders is still limited.
• Between A Luoi DPC and hydropower company have no uniform grid
in solving people's problems related to hydropower.
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8. • Conflict in the compensation policies and decisions of local
governments, according to the TT Hue’s PPC of issued the
Decision 11 (issued on 10.04.2011) instead of Decision 928.
• Contradiction here is that Decision 11, the value of
compensation for affected land is three times higher than the
old Decision, thus lead to complaints from the recipients of
compensation.
• This conflict leads to people constantly claim and does not
accept relocation to a new place.
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9. Conflict on the livelihoods of the local community
• In the affected communes,
almost 100% of people's lands
were submerged in water, all
other crops such as coffee,
industrial trees… also flooded.
• High water, mountainous
people have year-round
livelihood associated with the
forest, now they must change to
... fishermen.
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10. • Before resettlement, on average, each
household has 2 “sào” (1000 m2) of
cultivated land, the average annual harvest
of 10 million VND/ sào. But the water
storage of the hydroelectric dam has
engulfed the entire land.
• Some households returned to exploit forest
products to maintain their livelihoods. This
way leads to a large of forest area were
destroyed.
• Local people have petitioned to the
Government and Hydropower company to
deal with the consequences, however, the
situation has not improved.
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11. 4. Preliminary conclusions
• After one year live in the new resettlement area, almost local
people have no income; their livelihoods are more and more
difficult, most people have not received compensation and
productive land. Supporting to develop production and local
livelihood do not meet people’s need.
• The natural resource, especially forest resource has been destroying
by the overexploitation of local people to remain their livelihood,
the natural forest has been clearing for cultivation and seeks food.
• The resettlement and compensation policies of Thua Thien - Hue
province are inconsistent, overlapping, such as applying both land
compensation decisions and assistance of stakeholders, it leads to
the prolonged complaints of local community
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12. L/O/G/O
Thank You!
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