Challenges in Implementing Best Practices in Involuntary Resettlement

A Case Study in Sri Lanka

Infrastructure projects sometimes physically displace households and disrupt income sources and livelihoods. The Asian Development Bank offers several good governance practices to its borrowers to minimize such adverse impacts, especially since the absorption of such best practices by countries is usually slow and erratic. This publication presents an in-depth case study from a complex and sensitive infrastructure project in Sri Lanka, where international best practices in involuntary resettlement were successfully merged with local legal systems. The publication demonstrates that the application of best practices to infrastructure projects needs continuous consultations with affected people and a firm commitment of resources.