Review of and analysis on resettlement induced by hydropower projects in China

Abstract

Abstract. For the rapid development of economy, China has seen more than 200 million kW capacity of hydropower plant installed and more than 55 billion m3 reservoir storage formed since 1950s. As a result, over 25 million resettlers have been wholly or partially affected. To displace and settle so many people is by no means a simple task. However, China has made great progress based on researches, studies, experiences and lessons drawn from the past over 60 years. To provide an overview of water resources and hydropower induced resettlement in China, this paper firstly introduces hydropower-induced resettlement briefly, and then examines the development of policies, laws and regulations. Afterwards, hydropower projects in Sichuan are taken as examples to show how inundation loses of hydropower projects develops. Moreover, some problems are posed and relevant suggestions are proposed in order to relocate those people more comfortably.