Revista Internacional de Economía y Ciencias de la Gestión

Urbanization in Ethiopia: Expropriation Process and Rehabilitation Mechanism of Evicted Peri-Urban Farmers (Policies and Practices)

Abstract

Idris Mohammed, Abdella Kosa and Nuredin Juhar

Urbanization programme in Ethiopia is neither participatory nor supportive to farmers in periphery, and thus has negative impact on people livelihood and highly affects the livelihood of poor people by diminishing the natural resource available to them. The municipality has provided cash compensation for affected rural people. However, monetary compensation is not an appropriate mechanism to rehabilitate an affected people and minimal and seems inadequate. The aim of the study was to assess policy and practice of land expropriation process and rehabilitation mechanism of evicted peri-urban farmers as the result of urban expansion to peripheral areas in Ethiopia. Primary data were collected from 200 peri-urban evicted farmers through questionnaires and 30 conducted interview with municipality officials. As the findings of the study shows that the reason for eviction of peri-urban farmers in Ethiopia are industries, urban dwellers residential house, public projects, private investments, NGO projects, Recreational sites and industrial parks. Peri-urban land are potential areas of interest, most stakeholders are tied to together confidentially for malpractices. Peri-urban farmers have the complaints on property valuation, amount of compensation, survival strategies and on implementation of policies, however, poor response. The rehabilitation practice which most municipalities now applying are mostly monetary compensation but rare practice of income capitalization. The practical implications that should be applied are use combination of rehabilitation mechanism, apply standardized land expropriation process, apply proper grievance handling mechanism and create enabling environment for peri-urban farmers.