Involuntary resettlement denotes displacement of people due to development projects and the process of rebuilding their livelihoods and living standards. The complexity of involuntary resettlement and the enormous diversity of project situations make achieving good resettlement outcomes a formidable task.

Prepared and developed through a partnership between:
Resettlement Thematic Group
of the Social Development Family (SDV) &
Environment and Natural Resources Division (WBIEN) &
Knowledge Products and Outreach Division (WBIKP)
of the World Bank Institute

A fairly impressive body of "good practice" knowledge has evolved on resettlement issues, which if followed systematically, can help realize the objectives of the resettlement programs associated with development projects.

This guidebook is a result of experience gained in World Bank projects implemented over the last two decades. The guidance provided is by no means definitive or exclusive, and is intended to facilitate a systematic analysis of issues that need to be addressed at each stage of the resettlement program. Based on the project situation and the context, different approaches could be adopted to achieve the objectives of the resettlement program.

The resettlement policy of the World Bank is currently under conversion to a new format. As a result of this conversion, project processing requirements may undergo some modifications. However, since the policy is not being revised, there would not be any significant changes in its application to projects.

  • This Guidebook provides guidance on planning and implementing resettlement programs. It is organized to describe the actions required at each stage of the World Bank's project cycle. It covers the substantive issues to be addressed, as well as the associated processing requirements that need to be met at each stage of the project cycle.

  • Use the Guidebook to find specific type of information on resettlement (e.g. guidance, lessons learned, key issues, and references). It is designed to help users, including task team leaders, project staff, consultants, trainers and NGOs, familiarize themselves with the requirements for a successful resettlement program. It provides a framework for preparing, implementing and monitoring resettlement action plans (RAPs), the main vehicle to implement the World Bank's policy on involuntary resettlement.

  • The Generic Template gives guidance on planning and implementing resettlement in a typical resettlement program. Sector and country templates, intended to provide guidance specific to different countries and sectors are currently under preparation. A draft template for the India highway sector is included in this version.

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  • This Guidebook will evolve based on further experiences on World Bank projects with resettlement. We welcome users to share their experiences on resettlement with us.

  • For help in using this Guidebook a tutorial is available. Click here.