An assessment of the impacts of urban population displacement on displaced persons’ livelihoods: a case of Buyuni area in Dar es Salaam
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Date
2016
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This thesis examined the impact of urban population displacement on livelihoods of displaced persons in Buyuni area in Dar es Salaam. The study’s key issue was to determine how the development project that was undertaken in Kipawa and Kigilagila to expand Mwalimu J. K Nyerere International Airport was planned to ensure that the people who were going to be impacted by being displaced are not going to be impoverished at the expense of the project. The study was guided by four objectives: the first objective examined contingency plans adopted by Dar es Salaam City before population displacement. The second assessed the impacts of displacement on displaced persons livelihoods; the third identified strategies employed by the displaced persons to cope up with the impacts of displacement; and, the fourth objective evaluated intervention measures that were taken by government to support displaced people in the resettled area. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to collect data. Sampling procedure used was a combination of simple random sampling and purposive sampling leading to 158 heads of household being obtained as a sample size of the study. The study was based on the theory of Sustainable Livelihoods Approach. The findings revealed that no contingency plans were adopted by the Municipal authorities and Tanzania Airport Authority except for temporary roads that were paved to facilitate easy access to plots in the study area. Also, it was noted that the existence of contrary provisions existing in two separate pieces of legislation has created difficulties to authorities in supporting people to recover from displacement and resettlement losses. Moreover, the findings showed that displaced persons experienced impacts such as marginalization, social disarticulation, violation of human rights, temporary time of homelessness and joblessness. The major impact pertained to the shortage of water in which case displaced persons used to dig shallow wells from which they could obtain water for different uses. Furthermore, the findings showed that the government did not have plans to ensure restoration of livelihoods of displaced persons in the receiving settlements. The findings also revealed positive results to displaced persons as for them the change was better because they were able to obtain large, planned and surveyed plots enough to construct a house or two and still leave an open space for a garden. They built better houses which was an improvement compared to their previous holdings. The study recommends that, the best way to address constraints brought by population displacement is to ensure that the potentially affected people are involved and participate in project planning and implementation. For this to happen, information flow is necessary at different stages, as well as clear policy and rules that which know and observed by all involved parties. In addition, it is important to ensure that relevant policies are supported by effective systems and mechanisms that guarantee displaced individual restoration of their interrupted livelihoods induced by development projects. This will consequently enable affected people and communities to improve their standards of living, while making it possible for them to realize the visions and priorities they had set before disruption.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF HB2122.9.P38)
Keywords
Migration Internal, Economic development projects, Buyuni area, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Citation
Paul, E. (2016) An assessment of the impacts of urban population displacement on displaced persons’ livelihoods: a case of Buyuni area in Dar es Salaam, Doctoral dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam