Landslide Induced Displacement and Relocation Options: A Case Study of Owner Driven Settings in Sri Lanka

Disaster induced displacement is one of the most frequent phenomena occurring in the contemporary world and has been aggravated by factors such as climate change. With the systematic interpretation of disaster risks, planned relocation has been recognized as a durable solution for post-disaster reconstruction and disaster mitigation. Planned relocation initiatives that have been executed as post-disaster reconstruction initiatives in Sri Lanka have mainly followed donor driven and owner driven approaches. This study is a comparative analysis of the status quo of owner driven relocation options that were implemented after the landslide which took place in 2016 in the X District of Sri Lanka. Two research fields were selected based on the two owner driven options as part of the selected case study: Government Resettlement Sites and Individual Resettlement Sites. This exploratory study utilizes both secondary and primary data. A purposive sample of ten households was selected from each setting to conduct in-depth interviews. Furthermore, five structured interviews with key informants were conducted using an expert sample. Secondary data were collected based on the concepts of relocation and satisfaction of housing. The findings suggest that the respondents were satisfied with the housing units in both settings despite concerns in relation to the suggested plans of the housing units. Furthermore, common concerns were raised in terms of delays and issues in fund management in construction of houses. However, there was a drastic disparity in terms of other infrastructural, public, and neighborhood facilities in the two settings. Hence, this study suggests the need for an overall management and monitoring strategy for all owner driven relocation options.