Environmental Resettlement and Development, on the Steppes of Inner Mongolia, PRC

The World Bank, other development institutions and a few countries, like China, have elaborated resettlement policies which envisage resettlement wih Development (RwD). However, the undeerstanding of Development emvodied in the discourse of Rwd is confused. After distinguishing between the concepts of development as outcome and development as process, we investigate two projects of environmental resettlement in Inner Mongolia, PRC. The planning and implementation of these projects reveal the state's interpretation of RwD. There has been some Development (outcome) in some places, notably improvements in material well-being. However, the process of development have been more extensive, involving increased participation in markets for produce and labour. The state, we conclude, indentifies involvement with markets as the principal means of achieving material Development outcomes.