Resettlement effects on quality of life in the villages damaged by natural disasters Case Study: Zanjiran and Isar townships in Fars province, Iran

Resettlement, the movement of people from one area to another, is carried out by many developing countries for different reasons. Among the reasons are, to increase agricultural production, to correct spatial imbalances in the distribution of population and improve the service systems. The general aim of rural resettlement is providing an appropriate ground to relocate the villages from the vulnerable and hazardous zones; this is performed in order to improve the living conditions and the resident’s welfare in the various aspects of life. The resettlement projects in the past two decades in Iran were inthe form of relocation and integration of villages and were carried out mostly in reconstruction of war-torn areas; the regions affected by earthquake, flood, landslide and construction projects of Storage Dams. Considering the impact of resettlement projects as a fundamental objective of rural communities, it is essential to improve the life quality. Location and community preservation are among the most important concerns in the resettlement site selection process. Thus, the resettlement sites should provide people with reliable access to productive resources, employment and business opportunities. The members of the community should be consulted and provided with appropriate options for resettlement. This research is conducted to determine the effects of resettlement on quality of life and to explain the influencing factors of it in two resettled villages - Isar and Zanjiran in Fars province, Iran. The Research Methodology was analytical- descriptive and the required data have been collected by using the questionnaire and interviews. The obtained results of the research indicate that the rate of life satisfaction in the six scales Likert Spectrum is equal to 3.601. The maximum and minimum satisfaction rates are related to Infrastructure, Employment and income range. In addition, the results of the factor analysis for the nine aspects of life quality were identified in the study areas. The six factors include: physical development; welfare services; quality of housing; relations with the nearby villages, towns and cities; the hygiene status and Social Welfare, and the total variance for quality of life is measured equal to 71.2. Due to the importance of the quality of life in development and wellbeing of the human societies, it is essential that in resettlement plans, both the appropriate land and the impacts and its consequences on the life quality of the villagers to be taken into special consideration in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the plan and moreover the resident’s welfare from different aspects would be improved. During the selection of alternative sites for rural resettlement, the following issues should be taken into consideration in terms of meeting the requirements of life quality for displaced people: The policy to direct people staying in their own regions; The policy to enhance participation of the resettled people in decision-making processes; Improving rural development models which intend to increase incomes in rural areas through an approach giving importance to participation; Developing rural residential planning and improving organizations serving rural areas; Protecting cultural, natural and archeological properties in the affected areas, and relocating these if possible.