Abstract:
Currently, in the highly urbanizing reform towns like Durame, both the number of
development projects and the households‟ eviction due to the projects are increasing from
time to time. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the consequences of resettlement
on relocated peri-urban households and the relocatees‟ coping strategies in Durame town.
In this study, the convergent parallel research design was used. The research was
undertaken by using both primary and secondary data sources. The quantitative data was
gathered from 162 randomly selected relocated household heads by using an interview
schedule; while qualitative data were collected from 17 purposively selected participants,
non-participant observation, and document review. After the data gathering quantitative
data coding, entry, and processing were conducted by using SPSS software version 20. For
the quantitative data analysis, descriptive statistical tools like frequency and percentage
were utilized. Besides, the thematic analysis was used to disclose the meanings of
qualitative data. Then, based on the research design, separated qualitative and
quantitative analyses were merged employing the triangulation of results. The findings of
this study revealed that resettlement the relocatees have faced the housing problem, loss of
access to shared resources, exposure to deteriorated living conditions, the lack of access to
infrastructural facilities, being needy of compensations, and the livelihood contributions of
on-farming was declined on average from 76.9% before to 45.95% after resettlement.
Whereas the neighbourhood ties continuation and livelihood diversifications were both
desirable consequences and coping strategies of the peri-urban relocatees. According to
the findings of this study, comparing the consequences of resettlement in terms of the
relocatees‟ asset status before and after relocation the adverse consequences of
resettlement out-weight the desirable ones; because the relocatees‟ losses were greater
than what they had had before resettlement. To cope up with the negative consequences of
resettlement, relocatees were striving to win their adverse conditions. Generally, it can be
concluded that resettlement affects the relocatees‟ social and economic aspects as well as
their coping strategies negatively. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended
that, without compromising its positive roles, the local government is expected to pay more
attention to improve the adverse consequences of resettlement on the resettled households.
Generally, coordinated efforts by the relocatees, NGOs, and government can play an
important role to improve the adverse consequences of resettlement on peri-urban
relocatees of the Durame town.