3 Steps in Conducting SIA
4 Principles of Good Practice
5 Sources of SIA Information and
Methods of Data Collection
7 Community Involvement in SIA
8 Preparing a SIA Report
9 Impact Mitigation
Enhance benefits
It is the process of assessing, in advance, the social
impacts likely to follow from a project proposal
It is an attempt to quantify those impacts
It alerts the planners to understand the potential
consequences of a proposed project
It is a powerful tool allowing decision makers to
initiate steps necessary to prevent/contain harmful
potential impacts
Helps in identifying potential impacts essential for
planning purposes
affected
adverse impacts
impacts
process
Provides opportunity to explain project’s objectives to affected groups
Provides affected people an avenue to express their views
Helps in allaying fears and winning trust of affected people
Helps people identify development opportunities from the project
Lowers projects costs by timely actions
Reduces delays in projects clearance
2 Causes and Types of
Social Impacts
populations of any public/private actions
These include changes in ways they live, work, play,
organize to meet their needs
Changes may effect: employment, production, way
of life, culture, community, political systems,
property, norms, values, beliefs, fears, aspirations
These impacts can be positive or negative
In short, social impact is a significant improvement or
deterioration in wellbeing
Some win, some lose
women)
projects, place to place)
Break-up of community cohesion
Disruption of women’s economic activities
Loss of time-honoured sacred places of worship
Loss of archeological sites and other cultural
property
Loss of agricultural lands, tress, wells
Loss of dwellings and other farm buildings
Loss of access to common property resources
Loss of shops, commercial buildings
Loss of businesses/jobs
Illustrative List of Impacts
Public Infrastructure and services
Scoping: identify the key social issues
Impact analysis: predict the impacts of a proposal
and evaluate their significance
compensate for adverse impacts
The SIA Process (contd)
decision-making
Decision making: approve, reject the proposal or
approve conditionally
Public involvement: inform and consult with
stakeholders
sources
condition
Develop a mitigation plan
significance
Provide feedback on social impacts to project
planner
Identify data sources
5 Sources of SIA Information and
Methods of Data Collection
Sources of SIA Information
census and vital statistics, other documents
Primary sources include: project-specific survey and
field research
Secondary Sources
Government census data
people
surveys
Include relevant data gathered directly from the field
Various other surveys, studies
project’s adverse impacts
Understand impacts on livelihoods of those affected
Identifying and Assessing
Social Impacts (contd)
Quantify impacts as far as possible (some are not
quantifiable)
to their severity
7 Community Involvement
Gaining their views, concerns
decision making
Reducing conflict
Public Involvement
Principles of Public Involvement
Inclusive: involves all stakeholders
understood
Fair: conducted without bias towards any group
Responsive: to stakeholder concerns and needs
Builds confidence and trust
Identifying affected groups and other stakeholders
Selecting techniques relevant to local situation
Providing feedback to stakeholders
A report on SIA required for decision making by
project proponent
sponsoring authority after completion of the social
impact assessment
Format of a SIA Report (contd)
Divide the report into distinct sections
Introduction, methodology used, likely impacts,
recommendations, mitigation measures
Share the report widely
Customize them to the different affected groups
Ensure impacts are not borne disproportionately by
any group
Treat relocation/resettlement as a special case
Livelihoods of those displaced should be improved
Enhance benefits for local people through Job
training and development packages
Climate change (CC) impacts in India will be severe.
Agriculture (60 percent depend on it), melting of glaciers
More floods, droughts will affect food problem and water security
Threats to cities on coastline due to rise in sea levels
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Many places now livable will be unfit for living due to climate change
People will be displaced and forced to relocate to safer places
This is happening already (In India, Sunderbans, for example)
Estimates of how many to relocate not known, but problem is urgent
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Resettlement as Adaptation Response
IPCC (1900) first to identify relocation as a major consequence of CC
Resettlement as adaptation gained much acceptance since (UN 2010)
This is the only option for Kiribati and other countries
Resettlement not an easy way out
Resettlement essentially disruptive, human rights abuses abound
Still this remains an option
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human rights
But that is not all
Need is to find land in a new pace, rebuild relocated lives
No expertise in UNHCR, and other agencies
They lack experience enough in planning relocation
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It exists in development agencies - international as well as national
Social science researchers too have contributed to this expertise
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They can foresee displacement ‘happening’ before it starts
Gives time to plan and execute it in advance with assured budget
But this experience relevant for slow-onset CC, not sudden kind
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Tendency to ignore it until it assumes crisis proportions
Policies/Laws announced when protests turn unmanageable
Projects operate without any trained staff
No top-level commitment
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Issues with Safeguard Policies (World Bank) According to policy standard of living should go
up, not down
Even Bank’s own studies report no significant improvement
In a hurry to disburse loan, Bank often ignores its own guidelines
Inadequate accountability for noncompliance
Until recently no resettlement policy In India
SIA became mandatory in 2007 policy
Promised guidelines on conducting SIA not issued
Social impacts/ impoverishment risks remain largely identified
Policy has remained only on paper
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Time/resources allocated for planning limited
Hence planning done without basic information (on impacts/risks)
Resettlement plans prepared hurriedly
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Issues with Resettlement Costs and Budget Resettlement costs a fraction of project cost (one
percent for a dam)
Yet, requirements for resettlement costs often underestimated
For fear that a realistic estimate may jeopardize project approval
But resettlement not possible without adequate budget
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Acquiring land now a major challenge for development projects
Climate change relocation faces a similar challenge
Host populations unwilling to yield even an inch of land
Yet, resettlement cannot be carried out without land
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Rebuilding livelihoods remains an insurmountable job
New areas may not offer the familiar livelihood opportunities
It is hard to shift to new kind of economic pursuits
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Resettlement is known more for its failed projects
This probably reflects a certain bias among researchers
“Historically, social scientists have been much better at recording development’s tragedies than preventing them” (Cernea 1991:188).
But resettlement need not always end in disaster
There have also been encouraging outcomes, as follows
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Example 1: The Mahi Bajaj Sagar Dam (India) The Dam-affected People of Khandu village resettled
close to a large district hqs town, Banswara, and the site given New Khandu as its name. The proximity to an urban center opened before them new opportunities to improve their lives: jobs, business opportunities, education, better civic amenities, Entire village moved as a group, so the social network has remained intact. New Khandu is now a thriving community. It is important to note that Khandu was the home village of then Chief Minister who appointed a senior official to look after resettlement on this project.
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Example 1. (Continued) Factors that contributed to success include: Top level commitment
Strengthened Institutional set-up
People moved close to a large town that offered better opportunities for jobs, business, education and other civic services
Sharp rise in urban property prices giving the people a sense of affluence
Entire village moved as a social group, retaining its original name Khandu
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Example 2: Light Rail Transit 3Terminal, Metropolitan Manila (Philippines) The project involved the resettlement of 4,053 families
from a site in Quezon City to make space for the LRT Terminal. These residents had been squatting on the land. An Interagency Committee to manage resettlement and it worked with locally elected community based organizations (CBOs). The CBO leaders were able to find an affordable site which was sufficiently close to the original community, and which had good transport links. The involvement of many groups in decision-making process caused delays, but it produced a negotiated compensation package and relocation process that the affected groups found satisfactory.
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Proper advance planning
Extensive consultations with the affected people through local CBOs
Site selected was close to the original community with good transport connections
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Example 3: Resettlement of People Affected by HZL (India) In Rampura, the acquisition of land for an open-
pit mine presented no problems, because by local market standards compensation offers by HZL were highly attractive. The issues related to resettlement, however, turned out to be more complex. In carrying out resettlement, HZL followed ODA practices: appointed a sociologist to conduct SIA and a resettlement plan made on this basis proved helpful in moving people to the new location in a relatively smooth manner. As the sociological research brought out, the factors that facilitated resettlement included:
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resettlement
The planning process began with social impact assessment and the active participation of affected people in the process
Relocation site designed to reflect the original settlement pattern and given the name New Rampura
Generous compensation package including jobs, which ensured that as a result of resettlement the affected people ended up better off than before
Affected groups relocated close from their original village
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Ensure that Plan has Adequate Budget Provision
Acquire Land for Resettlement
Avoid/Reduce Resettlement
Ensure that Plan has Adequate Budget Provision
Acquire Land for Resettlement
Focus on Development in Resettlement
Move People as a Group
Involve All in Resettlement Process including Host Communities
Organize Training to Strengthen Management Capacity
Commitment to Resettlement
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When should Affected People be Relocated? Best Option is Not to Relocate and let live people
where they are
Last-minute rush will make things worse for the affected people
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