Module D deals with Resource politics, environmental degradation, and forced migration. Annually, the lives and livelihoods of millions of people across the globe are affected by forced displacement due to infrastructure projects like dams, mines, industries, power plants, roads. Even in displacements induced by conflicts, it is the question of resources that lies at the heart of most of these conflicts. The situation in South Asia is no exception. In fact, the phenomenon of displacement due to resource politics and environmental degradation may said to be more pronounced in this region because of the industrialisation drive of these developing states and also because of the inadequacy of existing legislatures in either preventing such displacement or in facilitating suitable rehabilitation of the victims of such projects. Very often it is the state that is the transgressor, responsible for effecting such displacement. At the same time, it has been observed that most of the displaced remain women and children, and even when men are displaced, their displacement negatively impacts on the womenfolk. The displaced rarely get adequate compensation for their losses of homes, livelihoods, resources. Most often than not they get no compensation and are hardly ever provided relief or rehabilitation packages by the Government. Since most of the displaced are usually marginalised groups, they are unaware of their rights to adequate compensation and better rehabilitation and neither do they benefit from the end products of the developmental projects.

This module is thus designed to give a comprehensive understanding of the following:

1. Resources lie at the heart of conflicts which in turn lead to forcible displacement of groups of population.
2. The concept of environmental degradation and environmental displacement.
3. The effect of resource politics and environmental degradation on women
4. Guidelines on how to prevent such displacement and how to shape adequate policies to ensure the adequate rehabilitation of the displaced.

The Course literature for Module D focuses mainly on case studies of developmental displacement of peoples, resulting from resource politics and environmental degradation. The chapter “Uprooted Twice : Refugees from the Chittagong Hill Tracts” deals with the displacement of the indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts – first due to developmental projects and then – due to the settlement policies of the Government to try and change the demographic composition of the area in order to consolidate the territorial integrity of the state. The same scene unfolds in the paper on developmental displacement of people in Pakistan, many of whom have yet to be resettled even after 30 years of displacement. Sanjoy Borbora’s article on Ethnic Politics and Land Us: Genesis of Conflicts in India’s North-East focuses on how resources become a source of contention and therefore conflict resulting in displacing people. Meghna Guhathakurta’s paper on the shrimp industry in Bangladesh reveals how women particularly are affected by the tie up between global capital and local economy, not only in terms of personal displacement but also by the migration of the men folk in search of employment because of the disruption of the traditional economy and employment patterns.

The report of the workshop on Engendering Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policies and Programmes in India gives an insight into how women particularly are affected by developmental projects and resource policies and how policies can be and need to be framed keeping in mind the gendered angle and with the participation of women, in order to understand and learn ways to redress the problems particularly faced by them.