Examining the Spending Patterns of Compensated Displaced Households (CDHs): Empirical Evidence from DiamerBasha Dam Site

Abstract

This research has two objectives. First, it explores the spending patterns of the households who receive monetary compensation for their land that government takes over for initiating national projects; in our case, it is about building the countrys largest dam. Second, it examines what we call the demonstration effects. Literature abounds with cases examining behaviors of internally displaced individuals while the opposite is true for the compensated displaced households. This is the backdrop, this research carried out a field survey to collect data for 192 households. The compensation received is divided into communal land compensation and private land compensation. In line with arguments with the Keynesian consumption function that provides the theoretical foundation to our empirical work, findings suggest a positive and significant correlation between spending patterns and private land compensation while the communal compensation appears to be insignificant. Education and one out of two demonstration effects have positive influence on spending behaviors.