A Site Investigation of the 13 Housing Zones of the Chinese Dam Resettlement

Abstract

Since 1949 China has built over 86,000 dams, which has resulted in the involuntary resettlement of up to 12,000,000 people. The major issue concerning resettlement is housing as this most directly affects the quality of life of those who are resettled. China has achieved significant results in resettlement housing construction; however the complexities of this resettlement process has raised tough problems. For example, there are regional diversities, rural vs. urban resettlement housing diversities and housing construction diversities resulting from different resettlement procedures. Following site investigation of 13 resettlement-housing zones in China, the author of this paper attempts to offer a systematic, analytical evaluation of the resettlement housing policies and current housing conditions in Chinese dam resettlement. © 2005, Architectural Institute of Japan. All rights reserved.