Short Course in Involuntary Land Acquisition and Resettlement (ILAR)

The Government of Sri Lank has implemented and planned a large number of development projects with huge investments to develop infrastructure facilities and improvement of living conditions of its citizens such as the construction of expressways, improvements of highways, roads and railway lines, ports expansion, urban development, and power stations and transmission lines.

These development projects require acquisition of private lands or recovery of encroached state lands resulting physical displacement, and loss of incomes and livelihoods of the affected persons.

The proper resettlement planning and implementation contributes to restore or improve incomes and living conditions of the affected people and also to resolve problems related to delays in project implementation, public protests and complaints, and violation of legal rights of the affected population.