Large Dams and Forced Displacement

In 2000, the World Commission on Dams presented its final report. Despite the participation of governments, NGOs
and hundreds of experts, the Commission acknowledged its inability to specify the number of displaced persons.
At the end they estimated that between 40 and 80 million people were evicted from their homes and flooded towns
and villages. This huge uncertainty of these numbers, reflects the invisibility of the victims, silenced by the
consensus that has too often justified aggressive water policies in the name of progress.

In many cases, the population was not even consulted. Their losses have rarely been compensated. Resettlement
camps have extremely poor living conditions (overcrowding, lack of potable water, electricity, human services…),
the soils are poor and fishing has disappeared. The resulting social and cultural impacts increase their
vulnerability, especially in the case of indigenous communities. This situation generates extreme poverty,
hunger and poor sanitation for affected peoples.