This volume examines the issues surrounding the resettlement of people displaced by development projects arguably one of the most challenging governance tasks today. The unprecedented surge in the number of displaced people in recent years, triggered by the entry of private consortiums in the development sector, has further complicated the task. Yet, resettlement remains a much neglected issue, and receives attention only when a crisis situation erupts. The measures then taken hurriedly as a knee-jerk reaction often fail to address the core concern of the displaced people the assurance of a sustainable livelihood. In the event, the deadlock persists, fuelling protests which are becoming increasingly violent. Included in this collection are articles that discuss the current issues in resettlement policy and practice in India the wide gap between what is promised and what is delivered and contend that the absence of a truly humane policy is the reason why the affected people often lose from the development process, ending up poorer than before. The volume presents new thinking on a range of resettlement issues, including compensation, benefit sharing, urban eviction, and the pressures of acquiring large tracts of land especially for multinationals and special economic zones. In addition, it questions the existing theoretical resettlement models and emphasises the need to rethink resettlement as a human rights issue. The eminent scholars and practitioners who have contributed to this publication represent a wide background, ranging from international development agencies to government, academic institutions, and civil society. They include those who have played a significant role in shaping both global and local resettlement policies as well as in implementing a variety of development projects involving resettlement in many countries around the world. This book will be useful to all those involved in development and resettlement issues: policymakers, planners, practitioners, industry managers, international development agencies, management training institutes, researchers, students of anthropology, sociology, social work, geography, law and human rights, NGOs and also the media.