How were land acquisition and compensation implemented? Is anyone being physically relocated?
First, it is important to note that no homes have been relocated to make way for pipeline construction and that it is the Sponsors’ firm commitment that no one should suffer economic disadvantage from construction or operation of the pipeline (one family of seasonal herders has been relocated to a new winter grazing area to enable the expansion of the existing Sangachal Terminal). Together with BP and BTC Co, senior environment and social specialists from IFC have worked diligently in the field to refine the route in order to avoid and minimize physical and economic displacement.
As mentioned above, as part of the suite of ESIA documentation to be released to the World Bank InfoShop, the RAP will be disclosed both locally and internationally to meet standards required by World Bank Policy OD 4.30, Involuntary Resettlement.
It is important to note, however, that over 17,000 households will be affected in all three countries and will be compensated for land and also for lost income (largely from grazing and cropping). Land tenure systems and regulatory frameworks for all three countries are also very different and complex. IFC’s intervention and application of OD 4.30 has brought significant structure, consistency and transparency to the land acquisition, compensation and consultation processes. In fact, in addition to the significant public consultation and disclosure that has occurred along the route during the ESIA disclosure “road show” conducted by BTC and witnessed by IFC staff in the summer of 2002 (which included substantial questions and answers related to the land acquisition process), detailed information in the RAP was complemented by a simplified, 20-page Guide to Land Acquisition and Compensation which was sent to all potentially affected land owners along the route 60 days before any land acquisition took place, describing the process by which BTC Co. will acquire temporary and permanent rights and addressing issues such as land valuation, compensation for loss of crops, complaints procedures and so on. This guide is based on principles outlined in OD 4.30 and is an innovative way to provide meaningful information and answers in a clear and simple form to potentially affected landowners on land acquisition and compensation.
