The socio-economic impacts of compulsory Land Acquisition on Livelihood of displaced Households. A case study of the East African crude oil pipeline project – Ugandan section

Abstract

Being resettled, even when it leads to an improved standard of living, can provoke significant emotional pain and other social impacts. Compulsory land acquisition much as it facilitates national development, it stands in stark contrast to the personal and socioeconomic hardships it imposes on displaced households. The study investigated the socio-economic impacts of compulsory land acquisition on the livelihood of displaced households with a specific focus on physically displaced households on the EACOP project – Ugandan section. The objectives were to investigate how the socio-economic impacts affect the livelihood of displaced households and to investigate the effectiveness of existing compensation and resettlement programs in addressing the socio-economic impacts of compulsory land acquisition on displaced households. A research design was employed and both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires and interviews and analysed using SPSS version 20. The findings revealed that that compulsory land acquisition inflicted intangible yet profound socioeconomic losses on displaced households. Being displaced increased poverty levels and food shortage. This was due to a reduction in the size of the new acquired land. With most of the households depending on subsistence farming, a reduction in the size of land affected agricultural productivity, crop yield and as a result low income and food shortage which lowered the standards of living. A struggle for displaced households to meet their previous living standards created anxiety and stress. The study also revealed that there is no national law governing resettlement and rehabilitation process. The country’s policy is still at draft level. The study concluded that land acquisition had socioeconomic impacts on displaced households some of which cannot be addressed with monetary compensation and recommended completion and enforcement of the Land Acquisition Resettlement and Rehabilitation policy and amendment of existing laws.