474
L. Ferrini et al.
rights of displaced populations are identified by interviewees as weak. Clarity among
village leaders, elders, and women’s groups is necessary for equitable compensation.
These shortcomings have negative impacts for the communities on the ground.
Examples include the struggle by women for even minimal access to water following
displacement, and a reported increase in vulnerability for new home owners and
farmers. Villagers were given the choice between receiving new houses already
built, and receiving the value of their existing houses in cash to enable them to build
their own houses. Many villagers choose the latter, with the unintended consequence
in many cases of under-investment in new homes and therefore exposure of these
villagers to new risks. The capacity to plan and invest corresponds strongly to perceptions of risk, social pressures, risk aversion, and cultural influences. Village leaders
and mayors are most often highly aware of the tendencies of their constituents and,
in the opinion of NUC representatives in Niger, could have seen this coming. In their
opinion, discussing the relocation plan with village leaders in more detail would have
allowed village leaders to better explain the pros and cons of compensation options
for the villagers, leading to wiser and more sustainable choices, i.e., more villagers
choosing quality housing over financial compensation. Unexpected flooding of the
irrigated perimeter caused by abundant rainwater during the displacement period
compromised agricultural productivity for farmers.
These outcomes increase the vulnerability of local populations through damage
to their livelihoods as well as a lack of sufficient involvement of local communities
in the project. The reports of the NUCs also identify that the populations of certain
villages “live in fear; are very perplexed and pessimistic. Even the collaborators
closest to the project [management] are worried, having witnessed the experiences
of the first wave of displacement” (NUC Niger 2015—translated from French by the
authors of this chapter).
In the words of NUC members, “in view of the lessons of the first wave and the
number of people affected by the second wave, it should be emphasized that the
enormous second wave calls for a holistic and cross-sectoral participatory approach,
with close communication and strong involvement of the populations to be displaced
and institutional actors. The effective inventorying of goods is one of the essential
keys to the success of these operations” (NUC Niger 2015—translated from French
by the authors of this chapter).
6.3 Discrepancies in System Understanding Around the Fomi
Dam (Case Study 3)
Located in the Guinean Highlands, the Fomi Dam on the Niandan River is 39 km from
its confluence with the Niger River, and was already identified in 1940. The current
presidential administration of Guinea has made the project a political priority, with
knock-on political effects in Mali and the other basin countries, due to the magnitude
of the project and the downstream impacts. This section considers the objectives and
L. Ferrini et al.
rights of displaced populations are identified by interviewees as weak. Clarity among
village leaders, elders, and women’s groups is necessary for equitable compensation.
These shortcomings have negative impacts for the communities on the ground.
Examples include the struggle by women for even minimal access to water following
displacement, and a reported increase in vulnerability for new home owners and
farmers. Villagers were given the choice between receiving new houses already
built, and receiving the value of their existing houses in cash to enable them to build
their own houses. Many villagers choose the latter, with the unintended consequence
in many cases of under-investment in new homes and therefore exposure of these
villagers to new risks. The capacity to plan and invest corresponds strongly to perceptions of risk, social pressures, risk aversion, and cultural influences. Village leaders
and mayors are most often highly aware of the tendencies of their constituents and,
in the opinion of NUC representatives in Niger, could have seen this coming. In their
opinion, discussing the relocation plan with village leaders in more detail would have
allowed village leaders to better explain the pros and cons of compensation options
for the villagers, leading to wiser and more sustainable choices, i.e., more villagers
choosing quality housing over financial compensation. Unexpected flooding of the
irrigated perimeter caused by abundant rainwater during the displacement period
compromised agricultural productivity for farmers.
These outcomes increase the vulnerability of local populations through damage
to their livelihoods as well as a lack of sufficient involvement of local communities
in the project. The reports of the NUCs also identify that the populations of certain
villages “live in fear; are very perplexed and pessimistic. Even the collaborators
closest to the project [management] are worried, having witnessed the experiences
of the first wave of displacement” (NUC Niger 2015—translated from French by the
authors of this chapter).
In the words of NUC members, “in view of the lessons of the first wave and the
number of people affected by the second wave, it should be emphasized that the
enormous second wave calls for a holistic and cross-sectoral participatory approach,
with close communication and strong involvement of the populations to be displaced
and institutional actors. The effective inventorying of goods is one of the essential
keys to the success of these operations” (NUC Niger 2015—translated from French
by the authors of this chapter).
6.3 Discrepancies in System Understanding Around the Fomi
Dam (Case Study 3)
Located in the Guinean Highlands, the Fomi Dam on the Niandan River is 39 km from
its confluence with the Niger River, and was already identified in 1940. The current
presidential administration of Guinea has made the project a political priority, with
knock-on political effects in Mali and the other basin countries, due to the magnitude
of the project and the downstream impacts. This section considers the objectives and