Phnom Penh – Towards Comprehensive Resettlement Planning : Post-resettlement Land Transaction and Tenure Insecurity

Abstract:

Cambodia is a country undergoing a major urbanization. The capital - Phnom Penh is growing rapidly, with numerous development projects. The city also has a large proportion of informal low-income settlers, squatting on private or public land.It is unavoidable that in this context many land related conflicts occur. The conflicts are most commonly solved through resettlement of the informal dwellers by allocating a land plot in one of relocation sites in the outskirts of Phnom Penh. However, many of the resettled families choose or are forced to sell their rights to the land. This thesis will explore the post-resettlement land transactions and tenure insecurity in PhnomPenh. Using a field study focused on one of the resettlement sites as a base, it will look into the reasons behind the emergence of the post resettlement land transactions, their mechanisms and subsequent displacement. The information obtained through interviews and surveys will point out the weaknesses in the current resettlement practice. The findings of this thesis will be used to make recommendations, which should be applied in the process of developing a comprehensive resettlement and poverty alleviation plan for Phnom Penh.