Analysis of Human Rights Impacts of Development Induced Displacement: The Case of Finchaa Amerti Nashedam
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Date
2015-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This paper investigated the legal and practical protection of development induced displaced
victims' rights in case of mega projects. For this purpose, secondary sources such as relevant
legal literatures, books, laws, articles and journals were analyzed while interviews and field
observations were the primary sources employed.
Each year, millions of people around the globe are forcibly relocated and resettled away from
their homes, lands and livelihoods in order to make way for large-scale development projects
such as dams. This forced relocation is known as Development Induced Displacement. The thesis
offers an overview of the human rights violations that have been taking place in Ethiopia as a
result of the implementation of mega development projects by focusing on FAN project in Horro
Guduru Wollega.
This research examines the legal projection of the right not to be displaced and the impact of
dispiacement on human rights specifically on the right to life, food, hOUSing, adequate standard
of living, the right to participation and right to development. The research revealed that
although FDRE Constitution and other legislations guaranteed the right not to be displaced in
arbitrary manner, the laws and practice are inconsistent with the standards et forth by
international human rights instruments. In addition to this, the thesis analyzes the shortcomings
a/Ethiopian laws, and how the FAN has induced impoverishment and violated human rights.
To protect human rights of DID the research recommends the government to amend or repeal
the laws inconsistent with human rights and to adopt laws which further protect human rights in
progressive way. The'study urges policy makers and concerned authority to envisage competing
human rights using legality, legitimate aim and proportionality tests, to follow human rights
based-approaches, to conduct human rights impact assessment before, during and after
evictions, to rehabIlitate the livelihood of evictees.
Finally, the thesis recommends that Ethiopia should implement and adopt a legal framework
to address issues of victim of development-induced displacement and provide project affected
people with legally enforceable rights regarding resettlement and rehabilitation.
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Keywords
Hydroelectric project, Development, Development induced Displacement -Human rights violations